New Methodology for the Manufacture of Opioid Pharmaceuticals and the Discovery of Novel Opiate Receptor Ligands

This project will focus on the application of recently discovered methodology for the N-demethylation of opiates to the industrial manufacture of the semi-synthetic pharmaceutical opiates. These semi-synthetic opiates are important analgesic agents and are also used in the therapy of alcohol and opiate dependence.

The same N-demethylation methodology will be used to prepare fluorophore-tagged opiate receptor ligands and bivalent ligands to gain a better fundamental understanding of G protein-coupled receptor pharmacology.