Dermorphin
Research profile · How we handle evidence
Dermorphin is a seven-amino-acid opioid peptide first isolated from the skin secretions of the South American frog Phyllomedusa sauvagei. Its D-Ala2 stereochemistry, unusual for a mammalian peptide, gives it exceptional metabolic stability and a very high binding affinity and selectivity for the mu-opioid receptor. Research studies report potency roughly 30 to 40 times that of morphine by weight, with human intrathecal studies showing effective analgesic doses in the low-microgram range. Dermorphin has no approved human medical use anywhere in the world. It carries a well-documented history of illicit use as a performance-enhancing and doping agent in horse racing, where it is a banned substance, and it is a controlled or scheduled substance in multiple jurisdictions.
Evidence Score
Preliminary signal
Category
Therapeutic area
Standard Dose
Not applicable — no approved or established human dosing schedule exists
Half-life
Plasma elimination
Route
Subcutaneous
Safety Tier
Limited data
Overview
Dermorphin is an extremely potent opioid peptide from frog skin, tens of times stronger than morphine by weight. It has no approved medical use in humans, carries a serious overdose and respiratory-depression risk even at very small doses, and has a documented history of illegal doping use in horse racing. This entry exists purely as a factual research reference, not a recommendation to use it.
Mechanism of Action
Dermorphin is an extremely potent opioid peptide from frog skin, tens of times stronger than morphine by weight. It has no approved medical use in humans, carries a serious overdose and respiratory-depression risk even at very small doses, and has a documented history of illegal doping use in horse racing. This entry exists purely as a factual research reference, not a recommendation to use it.
Benefits
No entries listed.
Side Effects
- Severe risk of respiratory depression and fatal overdose, even at very small doses
- High potential for tolerance, physical dependence, and addiction
- Sedation, nausea, and the full range of mu-opioid agonist effects at pharmacologically active doses
- No human long-term safety data exists
Contraindications
- No approved human use exists — not a substitute for any medically supervised pain treatment
- Severe overdose and fatal respiratory depression risk, including at doses that may appear small
- Illegal to possess or administer to animals for competition in most racing jurisdictions; classified as a controlled or scheduled substance in multiple countries
- Must not be combined with any other opioid, sedative, benzodiazepine, or alcohol
- Not studied in pregnancy, in people with respiratory conditions, or with any history of substance dependence
Structure & Sequence
Verified structure
Dermorphin
No public sequence, formula, or exact registry structure is available for this record.
No trustworthy illustration yet
This entry is missing a public exact structure, sequence, or usable formula. The verification record is still stored so it remains visible in the audit trail.
Stack & Route Context
Stacks with
No entries listed.
Administration
Subcutaneous
Research Status
Research chemical only. No approved human medical use. Historically studied as a template for developing safer, more receptor-selective analogs (e.g. DALDA).
Approval Status
Experimental
Sports Legal
Restricted
References
- 1
Montecucchi et al., isolation and characterization of dermorphin from Phyllomedusa sauvagei skin
1981
- 2
Intrathecal dermorphin analgesia studies reporting human dosing and potency data
1990
- 3
Association of Racing Commissioners International dermorphin ("frog juice") doping alerts
2012
This profile summarizes research literature for education only. It is not medical advice, and it does not diagnose, treat, or recommend a dose. Consult a qualified professional before changing a protocol.