Missouri safety officials warn of synthetic opioid Cyclorphine

COLUBMIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Missouri Department of Public Safety is warning people about a synthetic opioid that is 10 times more potent than Fentanyl, according to a post on Facebook.

In 2025, Cychlorphine was found in 10 states, including Missouri, according to an April press release from the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy. The drug was involved in 55 overdose deaths in the U.S. between 2025 and 2026.

Cychlorphine overdoses can be reversed using naloxone, but it often takes multiple doses to be effective.

The Columbia Fire Department also posted about the drug Saturday and warned people that it could be mixed with other drugs or made into counterfeit medications. Fentanyl test strips can't reliably detect the more potent drug, the post says.

A person who has overdosed can appear to have slow or absent breathing, can't be woken up, is making gurgling noises, and could have blue or gray lips or fingernails.

These warnings come after 26 public schools in Missouri were found to have traces of nitazene, another potent drug, in a voluntary wastewater study conducted by the Missouri Department of Public Safety.

There are many free options around Columbia to receive naloxone, including all of the CFD stations, the Columbia/Boone County Health Department, Flat Branch Park and Columbia's Activity and Recreation Center.