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Folker Westphal

20 papers in the library · 496 citations · publishing 2015-2026

Papers

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Global emergence and γ-aminobutyric acid type A (GABAA) receptor activity of the new designer benzodiazepine ethylbromazolam

Archives of Toxicology May 20, 2026 Caitlyn Norman, Dean Acreman, Meera Bissram et al.

Abstract Designer benzodiazepines (DBZDs) are a class of new psychoactive substances (NPS) designed as legal alternatives to prescription BZDs. Bromazolam has been the most prevalent DBZD detected on the recreational market around the world; however, a new DBZD, ethylbromazolam (8-bromo-1-ethyl-6-phenyl-4 H-[1,2,4]triazolo[4,3-a][1,4]benzodiazepine; also known as bromoethylazolam) has recently...

Analytical and behavioral characterization of 1-dodecanoyl-LSD (1DD-LSD).

Drug Testing and Analysis 2025 Pierce V. Kavanagh, Folker Westphal, Benedikt Pulver et al. 8 citations

1-Acetyl-N,N-diethyllysergamide (1A-LSD, ALD-52) was first synthesized in the 1950s and found to produce psychedelic effects similar to those of LSD. Evidence suggests that ALD-52 serves as a prodrug in vivo and hydrolysis to LSD is likely responsible for its activity. Extension of the N1-alkylcarbonyl chain gives rise to novel lysergamides, which spurred further investigations into their...

Metabolism and cytotoxicity studies of the two hallucinogens 1cP-LSD and 4-AcO-DET in human liver and zebrafish larvae models using LC-HRMS/MS and a high-content screening assay.

Journal of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Analysis August 1, 2024 Tanja M Gampfer, Victoria Schütz, Philip Schippers et al. 11 citations

The continuous emergence of new psychoactive substances (NPS) attracted a great deal of attention within recent years. Lately, the two hallucinogenic NPS 1cP-LSD and 4-AcO-DET have appeared on the global market. Knowledge about their metabolism to identify potential metabolic targets for analysis and their cytotoxic properties is lacking. The aim of this work was thus to study their in vitro...

Analytical and behavioral characterization of N-ethyl-N-isopropyllysergamide (EIPLA), an isomer of N6 -ethylnorlysergic acid N,N-diethylamide (ETH-LAD).

Drug Testing and Analysis February 1, 2024 Simon D. Brandt, Pierce V. Kavanagh, Folker Westphal et al. 5 citations

Preclinical investigations have shown that N-ethyl-N-isopropyllysergamide (EIPLA) exhibits lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD)-like properties, which suggests that it might show psychoactive effects in humans. EIPLA is also an isomer of N6 -ethylnorlysergic acid N,N-diethylamide (ETH-LAD), a lysergamide known to produce psychedelic effects in humans that emerged as a research chemical. EIPLA was...

Analytical profile of the lysergamide 1cP-AL-LAD and detection of impurities.

Drug Testing and Analysis March 1, 2023 Pierce V. Kavanagh, Folker Westphal, Benedikt Pulver et al. 7 citations

The development of novel lysergamides continues to occur, based on both the needs of psychedelic medicine and commercial interest in new recreational substances. The present study continues the authors' research on novel lysergamides and describes the analytical profile of 1-cyclopropanoyl-AL-LAD (IUPAC name:...

Analytical profile, in vitro metabolism and behavioral properties of the lysergamide 1P‐AL‐LAD

Drug Testing and Analysis May 7, 2022 Simon D. Brandt, Pierce V. Kavanagh, Folker Westphal et al. 14 citations

Abstract Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) is known to induce powerful psychoactive effects in humans, which cemented its status as an important tool for clinical research. A range of analogues and derivatives has been investigated over the years, including those classified as new psychoactive substances. This study presents the characterization of the novel lysergamide N , N...

Return of the lysergamides. Part VII: Analytical and behavioural characterization of 1‐valeroyl‐d‐lysergic acid diethylamide (1V‐LSD)

Drug Testing and Analysis November 27, 2021 Simon D. Brandt, Pierce V. Kavanagh, Folker Westphal et al. 19 citations

Abstract The psychopharmacological properties of the psychedelic drug lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) have attracted the interest of several generations of scientists. While further explorations involving novel LSD‐type compounds are needed to assess their potential as medicinal drugs, the emergence of novel derivatives as recreational drugs has also been observed. 1‐Valeroyl‐LSD (also known...

Separating the wheat from the chaff: Observations on the analysis of lysergamides LSD, MIPLA, and LAMPA

Drug Testing and Analysis May 22, 2021 Simon D. Brandt, Pierce V. Kavanagh, Folker Westphal et al. 12 citations

Abstract Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) is a potent psychoactive substance that has attracted great interest in clinical research. As the pharmacological exploration of LSD analogs continues to grow, some of those analogs have appeared on the street market. Given that LSD analogs are uncontrolled in many jurisdictions, it is important that these analogs be differentiated from LSD. This report...

Analytical profile of N‐ethyl‐N‐cyclopropyl lysergamide (ECPLA), an isomer of lysergic acid 2,4‐dimethylazetidide (LSZ)

Drug Testing and Analysis August 24, 2020 Simon D. Brandt, Pierce V. Kavanagh, Folker Westphal et al. 5 citations

Recent investigations have shown that N-ethyl-N-cyclopropyl lysergamide (ECPLA) produces LSD-like behavioral effects in mice, which suggests that it may act as a hallucinogen in humans. Although the use of ECPLA as a recreational drug has been limited, key analytical data that can be used to detect ECPLA are required for future forensic and clinical investigations. ECPLA is an isomer of...

Return of the lysergamides. Part VI: Analytical and behavioural characterization of 1‐cyclopropanoyl‐d‐lysergic acid diethylamide (1CP‐LSD)

Drug Testing and Analysis March 16, 2020 Simon D. Brandt, Pierce V. Kavanagh, Folker Westphal et al. 38 citations

Abstract Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) is a prototypical serotonergic psychedelic drug and the subject of many clinical investigations. In recent years, a range of lysergamides has emerged with the production of some being inspired by the existing scientific literature. Others, for example various 1‐acyl substituted lysergamides, did not exist before their appearance as research chemicals....

Return of the lysergamides. Part V: Analytical and behavioural characterization of 1‐butanoyl‐d‐lysergic acid diethylamide (1B‐LSD)

Drug Testing and Analysis May 13, 2019 Simon D. Brandt, Pierce V. Kavanagh, Folker Westphal et al. 72 citations

Abstract The psychedelic properties of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) have captured the imagination of researchers for many years and its rediscovery as an important research tool is evidenced by its clinical use within neuroscientific and therapeutic settings. At the same time, a number of novel LSD analogs have recently emerged as recreational drugs, which makes it necessary to study their...

Syntheses and analytical characterizations of the research chemical 1‐[1‐(2‐fluorophenyl)‐2‐phenylethyl]pyrrolidine (fluorolintane) and five of its isomers

Drug Testing and Analysis April 30, 2019 Michael Dybek, Jason Wallach, Pierce V. Kavanagh et al. 9 citations

Abstract A number of substances based on the 1,2‐diarylethylamine template have been investigated for various potential clinical applications whereas others have been encountered as research chemicals sold for non‐medical use. Some of these substances have transpired to function as NMDA receptor antagonists that elicit dissociative effects in people who use these substances recreationally....

Nano liquid chromatography-high-resolution mass spectrometry for the identification of metabolites of the two new psychoactive substances N-(ortho-methoxybenzyl)-3,4-dimethoxyamphetamine and N-(ortho-methoxybenzyl)-4-methylmethamphetamine.

Talanta October 1, 2018 Achim T. Caspar, Markus R Meyer, Folker Westphal et al. 17 citations

Among the emerging new psychoactive substances (NPS), compounds carrying an N-ortho-methoxybenzyl substituent, the so-called NBOMes, represented a highly potent group of new hallucinogens. Recently, 3,4-dimethoxyamphetamine (3,4-DMA)-NBOMe and 4-methylmethamphetamine (4-MMA)-NBOMe occurred, but no data on their pharmacokinetics were available. According to other NBOMes, they are expected to be...

Synthesis, analytical characterization, and monoamine transporter activity of the new psychoactive substance 4‐methylphenmetrazine (4‐MPM), with differentiation from its ortho‐ and meta‐ positional isomers

Drug Testing and Analysis April 19, 2018 Gavin McLaughlin, Michael H. Baumann, Pierce V. Kavanagh et al. 8 citations

The availability of new psychoactive substances (NPS) on the recreational drug market continues to create challenges for scientists in the forensic, clinical and toxicology fields. Phenmetrazine (3-methyl-2-phenylmorpholine) and an array of its analogs form a class of psychostimulants that are well documented in the patent and scientific literature. The present study reports on two...

Syntheses, analytical and pharmacological characterizations of the 'legal high' 4-[1-(3-methoxyphenyl)cyclohexyl]morpholine (3-MeO-PCMo) and analogues.

Drug Testing and Analysis February 1, 2018 Tristan Colestock, Jason Wallach, Matt Mansi et al. 14 citations

New psychoactive substances (NPS) are commonly referred to as 'research chemicals', 'designer drugs' or 'legal highs'. One NPS class is represented by dissociative anesthetics, which include analogues of the arylcyclohexylamine phencyclidine (PCP), ketamine and diphenidine. A recent addition to the NPS market was 4-[1-(3-methoxyphenyl)cyclohexyl]morpholine (3-MeO-PCMo), a morpholine analogue of...

Return of the lysergamides. Part IV: Analytical and pharmacological characterization of lysergic acid morpholide (LSM‐775)

Drug Testing and Analysis June 5, 2017 Simon D. Brandt, Pierce V. Kavanagh, Brendan Twamley et al. 56 citations

Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) is perhaps one of the best‐known psychoactive substances and many structural modifications of this prototypical lysergamide have been investigated. Several lysergamides were recently encountered as ‘research chemicals’ or new psychoactive substances (NPS). Although lysergic acid morpholide (LSM‐775) appeared on the NPS market in 2013, there is disagreement in...

Return of the lysergamides. Part III: Analytical characterization of N6-ethyl-6-norlysergic acid diethylamide (ETH-LAD) and 1-propionyl ETH-LAD (1P–ETH-LAD)

Drug Testing and Analysis May 10, 2017 Simon D. Brandt, Pierce V. Kavanagh, Folker Westphal et al. 44 citations

The psychoactive properties of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) have fascinated scientists across disciplines and the exploration of other analogues and derivatives has been motivated by deepening the understanding of ligand-receptor interactions at the molecular level as well as by the search for new therapeutics. Several LSD congeners have appeared on the new psychoactive substances (NPS)...

Analytical characterization of N,N-diallyltryptamine (DALT) and 16 ring-substituted derivatives.

Drug Testing and Analysis 2017 Simon D. Brandt, Pierce V. Kavanagh, Geraldine Dowling et al. 16 citations

Many N,N-dialkylated tryptamines show psychoactive properties in humans and the number of derivatives involved in multidisciplinary areas of research has grown over the last few decades. Whereas some derivatives form the basis of a range of medicinal products, others are predominantly encountered as recreational drugs, and in some cases, the areas of therapeutic and recreational use can...

Return of the lysergamides. Part II: Analytical and behavioural characterization of N6-allyl-6-norlysergic acid diethylamide (AL-LAD) and (2’S,4’S)-lysergic acid 2,4-dimethylazetidide (LSZ)

Drug Testing and Analysis June 6, 2016 Simon D. Brandt, Pierce V. Kavanagh, Folker Westphal et al. 62 citations

Lysergic N,N-diethylamide (LSD) is perhaps one of the most intriguing psychoactive substances known and numerous analogs have been explored to a varying extent in previous decades. In 2013, N6-allyl-6-norlysergic acid diethylamide (AL-LAD) and (2’S,4’S)-lysergic acid 2,4-dimethylazetidide (LSZ) have appeared on the ‘research chemicals’ / new psychoactive substances (NPS) market in both powdered...

Return of the lysergamides. Part I: Analytical and behavioural characterization of 1‐propionyl‐d‐lysergic acid diethylamide (1P‐LSD)

Drug Testing and Analysis October 12, 2015 Simon D. Brandt, Pierce V. Kavanagh, Folker Westphal et al. 79 citations

1‐Propionyl‐ d ‐lysergic acid diethylamide hemitartrate (1P‐LSD) has become available as a ‘research chemical’ in the form of blotters and powdered material. This non‐controlled derivative of d ‐lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) has previously not been described in the published literature despite being closely related to 1‐acetyl‐LSD (ALD‐52), which was developed in the 1950s. This study...