Class A3 (Psychoactive drugs)
Schedule III
Fenethylline is a codrug of amphetamine and theophylline and so a mutual prodrug of both.
The drug was marketed for use as a psychostimulant under the brand names Captagon.
It is now illegal in most countries and is produced primarily for illicit use.
Syria is considered to be the world’s largest producer of the drug.
It was used in the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and, less commonly, for narcolepsy and depression.
One of the main advantages of fenethylline was that it does not increase blood pressure to the same extent as an equivalent dose of amphetamine and so could be used in patients with cardiovascular conditions.
Fenethylline was considered to have fewer side effects and less potential for abuse than amphetamine.
Fenethylline is metabolized by the body to form amphetamine (24.5% of oral dose) and theophylline (13.7% of oral dose), both of which are active stimulants.
Its physiological effects of fenethylline therefore seem to result from a combination of these two compounds.
Abuse of fenethylline (Captagon) is common in the Middle East.
Fenethylline production and export has become a significant industry sponsored by the Syrian government, with revenue from its exports contributing more than 90% of its foreign currency.
The Assad regime’s annual fenethylline revenues were estimated to have been worth US$57 billion in 2022, about three times the total trade of all Mexican drug barons.
Syrian government of Bashar al-Assad that has been financing production and sponsoring networks of its drug dealers in coordination with the Syrian intelligence.
Forty percent of users between the ages of twelve and twenty-two in Saudi Arabia are addicted to fenethylline.
The sale of fenethylline generates large revenues which are likely used to fund the purchase of weapons, and fenethylline is used as a stimulant by combatants.
The drug gives a sense of well-being and euphoria, along with the thought that one is invincible and that nothing can harm you.
Fenethylline use was associated with the rise of ISIS.
Israel has suggested that fenethylline was used during the October 7 attacks.
The drug was withdrawn from the United States market because of side effects that included hallucinations, visual distortions, and psychosis; it has also been linked to rare cases of myocardial infarction, seizures, and delusions.