Cychlorphine linked to more than 40 deaths in Tennessee

Officials say cychlorphine appeared in toxicology reports for 41 deaths in Tennessee from July 2025 to February 2026, with five additional fatalities under review; the compound has been detected in other states and in seized samples.

Knox County Regional Forensic Center reported that cychlorphine appeared in toxicology reports for 41 deaths in Tennessee between July 2025 and February 2026, and five more fatalities are under early review. The reported deaths occurred across 11 counties in East Tennessee. Officials say cychlorphine likely surfaced in the United States in late 2024 and has since been detected in other states and reported in Europe. The forensic center and other authorities noted that many routine drug tests do not detect the compound without specialized testing. Key points: - 41 deaths in Tennessee from July 2025–February 2026 with five additional fatalities under review, according to the Knox County Regional Forensic Center. - Seized drug samples and forensic reports show detections in East Tennessee and in at least nine other U.S. states; alerts have also been reported in Europe. - Officials say cychlorphine is not approved for human use and may be mixed with other illicit drugs; standard test strips and many routine toxicology panels may not detect it without targeted methods. - The CDC added N-Propionitrile Chlorphine to the State Unintentional Drug Overdose Reporting System in early 2025, and laboratories and surveillance systems are expanding targeted testing. Summary: The reports highlight gaps in overdose surveillance and toxicology screening as a novel synthetic opioid moves through the illicit supply. Laboratories and surveillance systems are expanding testing to detect cychlorphine. Undetermined at this time.