PB-22 (QUPIC, SGT-21 or 1-pentyl-1H-indole-3-carboxylic acid 8-quinolinyl ester) is a
designer drug offered by online vendors as a cannabimimetic agent, and detected being sold in
synthetic cannabis products in Japan in 2013.[1][2] PB-22 represents a structurally unique synthetic cannabinoid chemotype, since it contains an ester linker at the indole 3-position, rather than the precedented ketone of
JWH-018 and its
analogs, or the amide of
APICA and its analogs.
PB-22 has an
EC50 of 5.1 nM for human CB1 receptors, and 37 nM for human CB2 receptors.[3] PB-22 produces
bradycardia and hypothermia in rats at doses of 0.3–3 mg/kg, suggesting potent cannabinoid-like activity.[3] The magnitude and duration of hypothermia induced in rats by PB-22 was notably greater than
JWH-018,
AM-2201,
UR-144,
XLR-11,
APICA, or
STS-135, with a reduction of body temperature still observable six hours after dosing.[3] One clinical toxicology study found PB-22 to be the cause of seizures in a human and his dog.[4]
History
PB-22 was originally developed by New Zealand legal highs company
Stargate International in 2012 as SGT-21, intended to be a structural hybrid of
QMPSB and
JWH-018.[5] However, no intellectual property protection was applied for and the compound quickly became subject to widespread grey-market sales outside the control of the inventors.
Detection
A forensic standard of PB-22 is available, and the compound has been posted on the Forendex website of potential drugs of abuse.[6]
Legal status
As of 9 May 2014, PB-22 is no longer legal in New Zealand.[7]
^Uchiyama N, Matsuda S, Kawamura M, Kikura-Hanajiri R, Goda Y (2013). "Two new-type cannabimimetic quinolinyl carboxylates, QUPIC and QUCHIC, two new cannabimimetic carboxamide derivatives, ADB-FUBINACA and ADBICA, and five synthetic cannabinoids detected with a thiophene derivative α-PVT and an opioid receptor agonist AH-7921 identified in illegal products". Forensic Toxicology. 31 (2): 223–240.
doi:
10.1007/s11419-013-0182-9.
S2CID1279637.
^Lin M, Ellis B, Eubanks LM, Janda KD (July 2021). "Pharmacokinetic Approach to Combat the Synthetic Cannabinoid PB-22". ACS Chemical Neuroscience. 12 (14): 2573–2579.
doi:
10.1021/acschemneuro.1c00360.
PMID34254505.
S2CID235808519.
^Gugelmann H, Gerona R, Li C, Tsutaoka B, Olson KR, Lung D (July 2014). "'Crazy Monkey' poisons man and dog: Human and canine seizures due to PB-22, a novel synthetic cannabinoid". Clinical Toxicology. 52 (6): 635–638.
doi:
10.3109/15563650.2014.925562.
PMID24905571.
S2CID207647659.
^"关于印发《非药用类麻醉药品和精神药品列管办法》的通知" (in Chinese). China Food and Drug Administration. 27 September 2015. Archived from
the original on 1 October 2015. Retrieved 1 October 2015.