Lefetamine was invented in the 1940s[1] and was widely abused in Japan[2] during the 1950s.[3] It has been researched for medicinal use but showed little advantage over other analgesics. Although it did seem promising for treating opiate withdrawal, it was not as good as buprenorphine for this purpose.[4] More recently it has been abused in Europe, but it remains an obscure drug on the illicit market.
^ Dodds EC, Lawson W, Simpson SA, Williams PC. Testing diphenylethylamine compounds for analgesic action. Journal of Physiology (1945); (104):47-51.
^K. Ogiu et al., J. Pharm. Soc. Japan 80, 283 (1960)
^Mannelli P, Janiri L, De Marinis M, Tempesta E. Lefetamine: new abuse of an old drug--clinical evaluation of opioid activity. Drug and Alcohol Dependence. 1989 Oct;24(2):95-101.
^Janiri L, Mannelli P, Persico AM, Serretti A, Tempesta E. Opiate detoxification of methadone maintenance patients using lefetamine, clonidine and buprenorphine. Drug and Alcohol Dependence. 1994 Oct;36(2):139-45.
^Janiri L, Mannelli P, Pirrongelli C, Lo Monaco M, Tempesta E. Lephetamine abuse and dependence: clinical effects and withdrawal syndrome. British Journal of Addiction. 1989 Jan;84(1):89-95.
^Massa S, Di Santo R, Mai A, Artico M, Pantaleoni GC, Giorgi R, Coppolino MF. Pyrrylphenylethanones related to cathinone and lefetamine: synthesis and pharmacological activities. Archiv der Pharmazie (Weinheim). 1992 Jul;325(7):403-9.
^ Massa S, Stefancich G, Artico M, Corelli F, Silvestri R, Pantaleoni GC, Fanini D, Palumbo G, Giorgi R. Synthesis, neuropsychopharmacological effects and analgesic-antiinflammatory activities of pyrrole analogues of lefetamine. Farmaco. 1989 Sep;44(9):763-77.