Historique
Périodique
The origin of MDMA (ecstasy) revisited: the true story reconstructed from the original documents
(L'origine revisitée de la MDMA, ecstasy : la vraie histoire reconstruite à partir des documents originaux.)
Auteur(s) :
FREUDENMANN, R. W. ;
OXLER F. ;
BERNSCHNEIDER-REIF, S.
Année
2006
Page(s) :
1241-1245
Langue(s) :
Anglais
Refs biblio. :
27
Domaine :
Drogues illicites / Illicit drugs
Discipline :
PRO (Produits, mode d'action, méthode de dépistage / Substances, action mode, screening methods)
Thésaurus mots-clés
MDMA-ECSTASY
;
HISTOIRE
;
INDUSTRIE DU MEDICAMENT
;
PHARMACOLOGIE
;
USAGE THERAPEUTIQUE
Note générale :
Addiction, 2006, 101, (9), 1241-1245
Résumé :
Background: Little is known about the origin of methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, ecstasy). The most commonly repeated statement in the medical literature is that MDMA was synthesized by the German pharmaceutical company Merck in 1912 in order to develop an appetite suppressor. Aim: To reconstruct the true story of the first known description of MDMA at Merck using the original documents. Methods: A systematic analysis of the original documents in Merck's historical archive in Darmstadt, Germany, was conducted (years 190060). Results: There were no indications for plans to develop an appetite suppressant at Merck between 1900 and 1960. Although MDMA was, in fact, first synthesized at Merck in 1912, it was not tested pharmacologically because it was only an unimportant precursor in a new synthesis for haemostatic substances. The new pathway was patented in order to evade an existing patent by a local competitor. MDMA was called 'Methylsafrylamin' in 1912. In 1927 and 1959, the pharmacological effects of MDMA were studied at Merck, but not in humans. Discussion A systematic analysis of the original documents in the company's archive revealed that uncritical copy-paste procedures may have contributed to the famous myth that MDMA was patented as an appetite suppressor in 1912. (Author' s abstract)
Affiliation :
Department of Psychiatry, University of Ulm, Leimgrubenweg 12, 89075 Ulm,
Allemagne. Germany.
Allemagne. Germany.