Etizolam
Definition
A thienodiazepine (thiophene ring instead of benzene ring fused to the diazepine) with GABA-A modulation pharmacology equivalent to classical benzodiazepines. Approved in Japan and South Korea; not FDA-approved in the US. Class C in the UK since 2017 generic BZD scheduling SI.
- Drug class
- Thienodiazepine
- Pharmacology
- GABA-A modulation, equivalent to classical benzodiazepines
- Approved markets
- Japan, South Korea
- UK status
- Class C, since 2017 generic benzodiazepine scheduling
Common questions
How does etizolam differ structurally from a classical benzodiazepine?+
It has a thiophene ring fused to the diazepine core in place of the benzene ring found in classical benzodiazepines such as diazepam, which is why it is classed separately as a thienodiazepine despite acting on the same receptor system.
Is etizolam legal to prescribe in the United States?+
No, it is not FDA-approved and has no accepted prescription use in the US, where it has instead appeared as a novel psychoactive substance sold outside regulated pharmaceutical channels.
Why does etizolam's legal status vary so much between countries?+
Some countries such as Japan and South Korea approved it as a licensed anxiolytic, while others, including the UK from 2017, scheduled it only after it emerged in unregulated form, reflecting differing regulatory timelines rather than differing pharmacology.
Related terms
- 7-Aminoflunitrazepam
- The primary urinary metabolite of flunitrazepam (Rohypnol), detected by LC-MS/MS in urine for up to 72 hours post-ingestion. The target analyte for...
- DFSA (Drug-Facilitated Sexual Assault)
- Sexual assault in which a substance is administered without the victim's consent to induce sedation, incapacitation, or amnesia. Most common substances in...
- Endogenous GHB Threshold
- Normal human blood GHB is 0.5-4 mg/L; urine 1-10 mg/L. Post-mortem fermentation can raise values to 20-50 mg/L. Forensic toxicologists typically use...
- Flubromazolam
- A potent triazolo-benzodiazepine (active at 0.125-1 mg), not internationally scheduled, appearing in DFSA and overdose casework. Not cross-reactive with standard BZD immunoassays....
- GABA-a Receptor
- The main inhibitory ligand-gated ion channel in the CNS; a pentameric alpha-beta-gamma subunit complex that opens its central chloride channel when GABA...
- GBL (Gamma-Butyrolactone)
- A prodrug of GHB spontaneously hydrolysed by blood paraoxonase-1 to GHB within minutes. An industrial solvent; scheduled as Class C in the...
- GHB (Gamma-Hydroxybutyric Acid)
- An endogenous GABA metabolite and short-chain fatty acid; exogenous doses of 1-3 g produce sedation, euphoria, and amnesia. Blood half-life ~20-30 min;...
- Phenobarbital
- A long-acting barbiturate (half-life 80-120 h) listed on the WHO Essential Medicines List as a first-line antiepileptic; Schedule IV under the UN...
- Positive Allosteric Modulation
- Mechanism by which benzodiazepines enhance GABA-A function: they increase the frequency of chloride channel opening in response to GABA without directly activating...