7 deaths in Cook County in 2026 linked to cychlorphine, synthetic drug more powerful than fentanyl
A drug known to be 10 times more potent than fentanyl has been linked to seven deaths this year in Cook County.
The drug is called cychlorphine. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration said it contributed to one death in Cook County last year. Only halfway through 2026, there have been seven deaths.
Cychlorphine, a potent synthetic opioid described as up to 10 times stronger than fentanyl, is a new emerging opioid at the top of the DEA's radar. Experts say it is being used as a cutting agent, added to other illicit drugs, without the buyer's knowledge.
"We are still analyzing its strength and its power, but we are seeing it more often in our fentanyl seizures and in drug overdose deaths," said DEA public information officer Luis Agostini.
Cychlorphine was new to the DEA in 2024. Agostini said the first time it registered in a toxicology report was last year.
So far in 2026, the Cook County Medical Examiner's Office said seven deaths have been reported. The DEA said the youngest victim was only 16 years old.
"The victims, unfortunately, the majority skewed on the younger side, in their teens and 20's," Agostini said.
Last year, the DEA's lab in Chicago showed how a small dusting of fentanyl could kill someone. Cychlorphine is even smaller.
"It probably takes much less given how much more powerful cychlorphine is to fentanyl," Agostini said.
Unlike fentanyl, there are no test strips that detect if cychlorphine is in a pill or substance. However, if someone does overdose, the DEA said Narcan or naloxone can work to an extent.
"Given its strength, how much stronger it is than fentanyl, it might take multiple doses of Narcan to have its desired effect," Agostini said.
Dr. Alex Krotulski, director of the Center for Forensic Science Research and Education, has been studying the potent opioid on a national scale.
His research has tracked 140 deaths linked to cychlorphine across 20 states and Canada. Illinois has seen 15 of those deaths – the third-highest total of any state.
"Many of these new synthetic opioids are produced, for example, in labs in China and then shipped around the world, specifically here to the United States," Krotulski said. "It's just a challenge of knowing exactly when it's going to pop up and where it's gonna pop up, and that's something that the public health departments really have to track through drug testing."
Right now, cychlorphine is not a scheduled substance, so no one can be prosecuted for deaths from the drug. The DEA said once they do get it scheduled, by then there will likely be another even more potent drug on the market; a never-ending cycle that is tough to keep up with.
