Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jun 3, 2026

MDPHP

MDPHP (3',4'-Methylenedioxy-α-pyrrolidinohexiophenone) is a stimulant of the cathinone class originally developed in the 1960s, which has been reported as a novel designer drug. In the UK its slang name is monkey dust. It is closely related to the potent stimulant MDPV though with slightly milder effects, and has been used as an alternative in some countries following the banning of MDPV.

Last revised
Jun 3, 2026
Read time
≈ 3 min
Length
694 w
Citations
13
Source
Wikipedia ↗
MDPHP
Clinical data
ATC code
  • None
Legal status
Legal status
Identifiers
  • 1-(2H-1,3-Benzodioxol-5-yl)-2-(pyrrolidin-1-yl)hexan-1-one
CAS Number
PubChem CID
ChemSpider
UNII
CompTox Dashboard (EPA)
Chemical and physical data
FormulaC17H23NO3
Molar mass289.375 g·mol−1
3D model (JSmol)
  • CCCCC(N1CCCC1)C(=O)c2ccc3OCOc3c2
  • InChI=1S/C17H23NO3/c1-2-3-6-14(18-9-4-5-10-18)17(19)13-7-8-15-16(11-13)21-12-20-15/h7-8,11,14H,2-6,9-10,12H2,1H3
  • Key:OBLFRFGUZZRECT-UHFFFAOYSA-N

MDPHP (3',4'-Methylenedioxy-α-pyrrolidinohexiophenone) is a stimulant of the cathinone class originally developed in the 1960s,1 which has been reported as a novel designer drug. In the UK its slang name is monkey dust.23 It is closely related to the potent stimulant MDPV though with slightly milder effects, and has been used as an alternative in some countries following the banning of MDPV.4567

Pharmacology

MDPHP powder source ↗

MDPHP acts as a potent norepinephrine-dopamine reuptake inhibitor. The IC50 values for MDPHP are 60-935 nM at NET, 8.4-50 nM at DAT and 9000 nM at SERT.89

MDPHP is specifically listed as a controlled substance in Japan 10 and Hungary,11 and is controlled under analogue provisions in a number of other jurisdictions.

Documented fatalities

A case of a "fatal acute intoxication caused by MDPHP" in a 48 year old male was reported in February 2022 by doctors at an Italian hospital.12 Another case has been reported, involving a 30-years-old male cocaine user, found dead on 20 July 2023 in Florence, Italy.13

See also

See also

References

References

  1. DE 1545591, Koeppe H, Zeile K, Ludwig G, "Patent DE - Verfahren zur Herstellung von α-Aminoketonen mit heterocyclischer Aminogruppe", issued 28 May 1965 
  2. "Monkey Dust drug use 'an epidemic', emergency workers warn". BBC. 10 August 2018. Retrieved 16 August 2018.
  3. Roberts M. Monkey dust drug clampdown could be coming in UK. BBC News, 11 May 2023
  4. Zaitsu K, Katagi M, Tsuchihashi H, Ishii A (2013). "Recently abused synthetic cathinones, α-pyrrolidinophenone derivatives: A review of their pharmacology, acute toxicity, and metabolism". Forensic Toxicology. 32: 1–8. doi:10.1007/s11419-013-0218-1. S2CID 25604845.
  5. Kaizaki-Mitsumoto A, Noguchi N, Yamaguchi S, Odanaka Y, Matsubayashi S, Kumamoto H, et al. (January 2016). "Three 25-NBOMe-type drugs, three other phenethylamine-type drugs (25I-NBMD, RH34, and escaline), eight cathinone derivatives, and a phencyclidine analog MMXE, newly identified in ingredients of drug products before they were sold on the drug market". Forensic Toxicology. 34 (1): 108–14. doi:10.1007/s11419-015-0293-6. S2CID 45890497.
  6. Beck O, Bäckberg M, Signell P, Helander A (April 2018). "Intoxications in the STRIDA project involving a panorama of psychostimulant pyrovalerone derivatives, MDPV copycats". Clinical Toxicology. 56 (4). Philadelphia, Pa.: 256–263. doi:10.1080/15563650.2017.1370097. PMID 28895757. S2CID 3401681.
  7. Fowble KL, Shepard JR, Musah RA (March 2018). "Identification and classification of cathinone unknowns by statistical analysis processing of direct analysis in real time-high resolution mass spectrometry-derived "neutral loss" spectra". Talanta. 179: 546–553. doi:10.1016/j.talanta.2017.11.020. PMID 29310273.
  8. Kolaczynska KE, Thomann J, Hoener MC, Liechti ME (July 2021). "The Pharmacological Profile of Second Generation Pyrovalerone Cathinones and Related Cathinone Derivative". International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 22 (15): 8277. doi:10.3390/ijms22158277. PMC 8348686. PMID 34361040.
  9. Bassi M, Bilel S, Tirri M, Corli G, Di Rosa F, Gregori A, et al. (July 2024). "The synthetic cathinones MDPHP and MDPV: Comparison of the acute effects in mice, in silico ADMET profiles and clinical reports". Neurotoxicology. 103: 230–255. doi:10.1016/j.neuro.2024.06.014. hdl:11392/2573094. PMID 38955288.
  10. "指定薬物名称・構造式一覧（平成27年9月16日現在）" [List of designated drug names and structural formulas (as of September 16, 2015)] (PDF) (in Japanese). 厚生労働省 (Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare). 16 September 2015. Retrieved 8 October 2015.
  11. "A Daath.hu kiegészítése a BSZKI "designer jogi listáján" nem szereplő, de a C-lista 1.-4. szerkezeti leírásainak megfelelő, illetve a C-lista 5. felsorolásában szereplő néhány anyagról" [The addition to Daath.hu is not included in the "designer legal list" of the BSZKI, but C-list 1.-4. and some of the substances in list 5 of list C.] (PDF) (in Hungarian).
  12. Di Candia D, Boracchi M, Ciprandi B, Giordano G, Zoja R (September 2022). "A unique case of death by MDPHP with no other co-ingestion: a forensic toxicology case". International Journal of Legal Medicine. 136 (5): 1291–1296. doi:10.1007/s00414-022-02799-w. PMC 9375735. PMID 35169902.
  13. Croce EB, Dimitrova A, Di Milia MG, Pierotti S, Arillotta D, Barbaresi M, et al. (February 2025). "Postmortem distribution of MDPHP in a fatal intoxication case". Journal of Analytical Toxicology. 49 (2): 137–141. doi:10.1093/jat/bkae092. PMC 11982668. PMID 39604091.