The Tox Lab

Episode 39: Plastic in the Fentanyl - Why should we care about BTMPS?


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This week on The Tox Lab, we’re taking a closer look at BTMPS.


A compound used as a light stabiliser in plastics, BTMPS unexpectedly surfaced in the U.S. drug supply in the summer of 2024.

We unpack what’s known so far about its emergence, discuss possible reasons for its appearance, and revisit earlier research exploring its activity at nicotinic acetylcholine receptors and signs of cardiotoxicity in animal models.


Join us as we examine what makes this compound so unexpected—and why it’s raising eyebrows in toxicology.


Hope you enjoy!


Links to the papers we discussed:


https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2829939


https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0376871625002169?via%3Dihub


https://www.cfsre.org/nps-discovery/public-alerts/an-update-on-the-presence-of-btmps-in-the-drug-supply-and-the-discovery-of-tetramethylfentanyl-related-substances#:~:text=in%20April%202025%20and%20since,acquisition%20of%20standard%20reference%20material


https://academic.oup.com/toxsci/article-abstract/77/2/368/1678969?redirectedFrom=fulltext


https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0028390809003141?casa_token=Fhh1rnqcuBcAAAAA:YpFG5go4VuiD9gW-cpdH1eipRNS6R104T68cuhwSF-wyp7piS8yp_UvpCi3wbreT_M82npMYVrE4


Disclaimer: All opinions are our own.


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