Delving into the Latest Updates on Clonazolam with Synapse

Overview

Basic Info

Drug Type

Small molecule drug

Synonyms

Clonitrazolam

Target

GABAA receptor

Action

modulators

Mechanism

GABAA receptor modulators(Gamma-aminobutyric acid A receptor modulators)

Therapeutic Areas

Other Diseases

Active Indication-

Inactive Indication

Anxiety Disorders

Originator Organization-

Active Organization-

Inactive Organization-

License Organization-

Drug Highest PhaseDiscontinuedPreclinical

First Approval Date-

Regulation-

Structure/Sequence

Molecular FormulaC17H12ClN5O2

InChIKeyXJRGLCAWBRZUFC-UHFFFAOYSA-N

CAS Registry33887-02-4

New psychoactive substances (NPS) pose a significant and ongoing threat to public health. Among the most prevalent on the current drug market are designer benzodiazepines, while new groups, such as methaqualone analogs, continue to emerge to bypass legal restrictions. In this study, 26 NPS compounds from these two groups were analyzed to assess their stability in different storage conditions. Samples were secured either as whole blood (stored at 4 °C and -20 °C) or as dried blood spots (DBS, stored at room temperature and 4 °C). Analyses were performed using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry. The stability study lasted 365 days, monitoring both the degradation rate of analytes and the possible formation of degradation products. In addition, the influence of chemical structure on analyte stability was evaluated. Results demonstrated that the stability of analytes depended on both storage method and temperature. Several compounds showed superior long-term stability in DBS samples. For example, 3-hydroxyphenazepam was undetectable in whole blood by day four, while still present in DBS. In many cases, short-term stability was also better in DBS than in blood. Furthermore, specific degradation products were identified, such as diazepam from ketazolam and 7-aminoclonazolam from clonazolam. Overall, the findings highlight that the stability of methaqualone analogs and designer benzodiazepines is strongly related to chemical structure. DBS cards frequently provide equal or improved stability compared to whole blood, particularly in short-term analyses. Consequently, securing biological material in both forms is recommended to maximize analytical options in forensic and toxicological investigations.

01 Jan 2026·DRUG AND ALCOHOL REVIEW

The Emergence of Novel Benzodiazepines in Australia, Evidence, Alerts, Clinical Management and Harm Reduction—A Narrative Review

Review

Author: Fletcher, Kathryn ; Siefried, Krista J. ; Sutherland, Rachel ; Franklin, Erica ; Ezard, Nadine ; MacDonald, Harriet ; Barratt, Monica J. ; Peacock, Amy ; Kypri, Stassi ; Clifford, Brendan ; Freestone, Jack ; Acheson, Liam ; Schumann, Jennifer L. ; Francis, Cameron

ABSTRACT:

Issues:

In Australia, detections of novel benzodiazepines (NBZ) and related overdoses have increased markedly over the last five years. This review summarises Australian peer‐reviewed literature and NBZ‐related drug alerts, outlines the pharmacology of commonly detected NBZs and discusses approaches to harm reduction, managing toxicity, dependence and withdrawal.

Approach:

Australian peer‐reviewed articles published between January 2020 and June 2025 were identified via Embase, PubMed, Scopus and PsycINFO. Drug alerts from this period were retrieved from an Australian online repository. Data were extracted, coded and synthesised. Global literature on the pharmacology associated with commonly detected NBZs in Australia, was retrieved via Google Scholar as were sources on benzodiazepine‐related harm reduction and clinical management and narratively summarised.

Key Findings:

Between 2020 and 2025, NBZs were frequently detected from data from emergency department, forensic, drug checking and coronial sources. The most common were etizolam, clonazolam, clobromazolam, bromazolam, flualprazolam and flubromazolam. Twenty‐three NBZ‐related alerts were issued over this period, with nearly half of these ( n = 11) issued between January and June of 2025. Health responses are hindered by limited pharmacological data, detection challenges and little research on the experiences of consumers.

Implications:

To inform interventions spanning harm reduction and clinical management, future research must develop understandings of the pharmacology of NBZs and the experiences of people who source NBZs from unregulated markets.

Conclusion:

NBZs were consistently detected across Australian coronial, toxicological, forensic and drug checking data sources from 2020 to 2025. Their emergence represents a public health concern, worthy of ongoing attention and response.

01 Dec 2025·ADDICTION

Counterfeit ‘Xanax®’ tablets: A comparative study of clinical and seizure data in Victoria, Australia

Article

Author: Schumann, Jennifer L. ; Greene, Shaun L. ; Bremner, Melissa ; Magee, Christie ; Hodgson, Sarah E. ; Syrjanen, Rebekka ; Abouchedid, Rachelle ; Gerostamoulos, Dimitri

Abstract:

Background and aim:

There is growing evidence of counterfeit benzodiazepine products containing other substances, including non‐regulated benzodiazepine‐type new psychoactive substances (NPSs). This study sought to compare detections of seized suspect counterfeit alprazolam products with clinical cases that reported use of an alprazolam‐containing product to better characterise community use.

Design and setting:

Observational study set in Victoria, Australia, using data from the Victoria Police Drug Sciences Group (which compiles information about seized drugs submitted for evidential analysis and intelligence purposes) and the Emerging Drugs Network of Australia – Victoria (EDNAV) project (a prospective, observational study collecting clinical and analytical data for illicit drug‐related presentations across a network of hospitals in Victoria, Australia).

Cases:

Police seizures expected to contain alprazolam (March 2020 and August 2022) and EDNAV cases with a reported exposure to an alprazolam‐containing product (September 2020 and August 2022).

Measurements:

Descriptive study outlining drug detections in seized tablets and blood samples from EDNAV cases, comparing patterns of detection and changes over time.

Findings:

A total of 623 police seizures were analysed, most commonly products labelled as ‘Xanax®’ ( n = 266), ‘Kalma®’ ( n = 196) or ‘Mylan®’ ( n = 124). Thirty percent of seizures contained alprazolam only. A benzodiazepine‐type NPS was detected in 375 seizures (60.2%). Exposure to non‐prescribed alprazolam was reported in 11.2% ( n = 125/1112) of EDNAV cases, with 68.8% identifying as male and a median age of 26 years (range 16–68 years). Eighty‐seven cases reported the use of ‘Xanax®’. Alprazolam was detected in 19 EDNAV cases. A benzodiazepine‐type NPS was detected in 78.4% of EDNAV cases. Both datasets saw a shift in detections from etizolam (2020) to clonazolam (2021) and then clobromazolam (2022).

Conclusions:

Suspect counterfeit alprazolam products seized by police in Victoria, Australia, in 2020 and 2022 commonly contained other drugs and/or new psychoactive substances, with an apparent limited consumer awareness of the tablet composition.

100 Deals associated with Clonazolam

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