Desoxypipradrol

Desoxypipradrol, also known as 2-(diphenylmethyl)piperidine or 2-DPMP, is a long-acting stimulant drug.

Desoxypipradrol was developed by the pharmaceutical company Ciba-Geigy (now called Novartis) in the 1950s, and researched for applications such as the treatment of narcolepsy and ADHD, however it was dropped from development after an alternative drug methylphenidate was developed by the same company. Methylphenidate was felt to be the superior drug for treating ADHD due to its shorter duration of action and more predictable pharmacokinetics, and while desoxypipradrol was researched for other applications such as to facilitate rapid recovery from anaesthesia its development was not continued.

In more recent times there has been some interest in the use of desoxypipradrol as a legal recreational drug, as its activity profile means it could potentially be used as a stimulant as an alternative to illegal drugs such as amphetamines; however its very long duration of action (as long as 24 hours or longer if booster doses are taken) makes it unlikely to be successful for this application, as prominent side effects such as insomnia and anorexia are likely to outweigh any positive effects. However several reports of recreational use has surfaced on bulletin boards focusing on drug use.

Potentially desoxypipradrol could also be useful for its original application of treating attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, considering that the short half-life of common treatments such as methylphenidate and dexamphetamine has led to the development of long-acting delayed release formulations of these drugs; however if desoxypipradrol attracts any significant attention as a drug of abuse it is likely to quickly become illegal and fade back into obscurity, and this may well be the likely fate of this compound. Desoxypipradrol is not specifically listed as an illegal drug in any country at the present time, but its structural similarity to the illegal drug pipradrol makes it possible that it would be considered a controlled substance analogue in several countries such as Australia and New Zealand.