// Workers AI · dad joke modeWhat did MGM-16 say to MGM-17? You're one missile-guided mistake ahead.

MGM-16
Clinical data
Drug class	Opioid
Identifiers
	IUPAC name methyl (E)-2-[(2S,3S,7aS,12aR,12bS)-3-ethyl-9-fluoro-7a-hydroxy-8-methoxy-2,3,4,6,7,12,12a,12b-octahydro-1H-indolo[2,3-a]quinolizin-2-yl]-3-methoxyprop-2-enoate;
CAS Number	1158901-40-6;
PubChem CID	168277847;
ChEMBL	ChEMBL5178271;
Chemical and physical data
Formula	C23H31FN2O5
Molar mass	434.508 g·mol−1
3D model (JSmol)	Interactive image;
	SMILES CC[C@@H]1CN2CC[C@]3([C@@H]([C@@H]2C[C@@H]1/C(=C\OC)/C(=O)OC)NC4=C3C(=C(C=C4)F)OC)O;
	InChI InChI=1S/C23H31FN2O5/c1-5-13-11-26-9-8-23(28)19-17(7-6-16(24)20(19)30-3)25-21(23)18(26)10-14(13)15(12-29-2)22(27)31-4/h6-7,12-14,18,21,25,28H,5,8-11H2,1-4H3/b15-12+/t13-,14+,18+,21-,23+/m1/s1; Key:DKMVCOVCNPWGTO-CMWCKQEVSA-N;

MGM-16 is an opioid drug which is a synthetic derivative of mitragynine, a natural product derived from the Southeast Asian tree kratom. It is the 9-fluoro derivative of another semi-synthetic mitragynine derivative MGM-15, and is a comparatively potent opioid analgesic with approximately 240x the potency of morphine.^[1]^[2]^[3]^[4]^[5]^[6] While several semi-synthetic derivatives of mitragynine such as 7-hydroxymitragynine and MGM-15 were widely sold in the United States as unscheduled designer drug alternatives to illicit opioids from around 2023-2026, it is unclear whether MGM-16 has appeared on the market to any significant extent. Nevertheless, on 2 July 2026 the DEA published a notice of intent to schedule three 7-hydroxymitragynine-related substances (mitragynine pseudoindoxyl, MGM-15, and MGM-16) under Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act.^[7]

References

↑ Matsumoto K, Narita M, Muramatsu N, Nakayama T, Misawa K, Kitajima M, et al. (March 2014). "Orally active opioid μ/δ dual agonist MGM-16, a derivative of the indole alkaloid mitragynine, exhibits potent antiallodynic effect on neuropathic pain in mice". The Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics. 348 (3): 383–392. doi:10.1124/jpet.113.208108. PMC 6067406. PMID 24345467.
↑ Raffa RB, ed. (2014). Kratom and Other Mitragynines. doi:10.1201/b17666. ISBN 978-1-4822-2519-8.
↑ Chin KY, Mark-Lee WF (2018). "A Review on the Antinociceptive Effects of Mitragyna speciosa and Its Derivatives on Animal Model". Current Drug Targets. 19 (12): 1359–1365. doi:10.2174/1389450118666170925154025. PMID 28950813.
↑ Bhowmik S, Galeta J, Havel V, Nelson M, Faouzi A, Bechand B, et al. (June 2021). "Site selective C-H functionalization of Mitragyna alkaloids reveals a molecular switch for tuning opioid receptor signaling efficacy". Nature Communications. 12 (1) 3858. Bibcode:2021NatCo..12.3858B. doi:10.1038/s41467-021-23736-2. PMC 8219695. PMID 34158473.
↑ Smith MT, Kong D, Kuo A, Imam MZ, Williams CM (February 2022). "Analgesic Opioid Ligand Discovery Based on Nonmorphinan Scaffolds Derived from Natural Sources". Journal of Medicinal Chemistry. 65 (3): 1612–1661. doi:10.1021/acs.jmedchem.0c01915. PMID 34995453.
↑ Gour A, Mukhopadhyay S, Henderson A, Awad A, Seabra MA, Pullman M, et al. (September 2025). "From Kratom to Semi-Synthetic Opioids: The Rise and Risks of MGM-15". Drug Testing and Analysis. 17 (12) dta.3952. doi:10.1002/dta.3952. PMID 40936282.
↑ "Schedules of Controlled Substances: Temporary Placement of Mitragynine Pseudoindoxyl, MGM-15, and MGM-16 in Schedule I". Federal Register. 2026-07-06. Retrieved 2026-07-03.

[1] Matsumoto K, Narita M, Muramatsu N, Nakayama T, Misawa K, Kitajima M, et al. (March 2014). "Orally active opioid μ/δ dual agonist MGM-16, a derivative of the indole alkaloid mitragynine, exhibits potent antiallodynic effect on neuropathic pain in mice". The Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics. 348 (3): 383–392. doi:10.1124/jpet.113.208108. PMC 6067406. PMID 24345467.

[2] Raffa RB, ed. (2014). Kratom and Other Mitragynines. doi:10.1201/b17666. ISBN 978-1-4822-2519-8.

[3] Chin KY, Mark-Lee WF (2018). "A Review on the Antinociceptive Effects of Mitragyna speciosa and Its Derivatives on Animal Model". Current Drug Targets. 19 (12): 1359–1365. doi:10.2174/1389450118666170925154025. PMID 28950813.

[4] Bhowmik S, Galeta J, Havel V, Nelson M, Faouzi A, Bechand B, et al. (June 2021). "Site selective C-H functionalization of Mitragyna alkaloids reveals a molecular switch for tuning opioid receptor signaling efficacy". Nature Communications. 12 (1) 3858. Bibcode:2021NatCo..12.3858B. doi:10.1038/s41467-021-23736-2. PMC 8219695. PMID 34158473.

[5] Smith MT, Kong D, Kuo A, Imam MZ, Williams CM (February 2022). "Analgesic Opioid Ligand Discovery Based on Nonmorphinan Scaffolds Derived from Natural Sources". Journal of Medicinal Chemistry. 65 (3): 1612–1661. doi:10.1021/acs.jmedchem.0c01915. PMID 34995453.

[6] Gour A, Mukhopadhyay S, Henderson A, Awad A, Seabra MA, Pullman M, et al. (September 2025). "From Kratom to Semi-Synthetic Opioids: The Rise and Risks of MGM-15". Drug Testing and Analysis. 17 (12) dta.3952. doi:10.1002/dta.3952. PMID 40936282.

[7] "Schedules of Controlled Substances: Temporary Placement of Mitragynine Pseudoindoxyl, MGM-15, and MGM-16 in Schedule I". Federal Register. 2026-07-06. Retrieved 2026-07-03.

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See also

References