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PreprintCC BYChemRxiv

Synthesis of Buprenorphine from Morphine

  • Robert Messias1,2,3
  • Jonathan C. Moore1,2,3
  • Kieran D. Jones1,2,3
  • Stephen P. Argent2,3
  • Aakarsh Saxena4,5
  • Hon Wai Lam1,2,3
5 affiliations
  1. 1GlaxoSmithKline Carbon Neutral Laboratories for Sustainable Chemistry, University of Nottingham, Jubilee Campus, Triumph Road, Nottingham, United Kingdom, NG7 2TU
  2. 2School of Chemistry
  3. 3University Park
  4. 4Navin Saxena Research & Technology Pvt Ltd
  5. 5Rusan Pharma Limited, 58-D, Government Industrial Estate, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India, 400067
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Abstract

Buprenorphine is a WHO essential medicine widely used to treat pain and opioid addiction, which is currently manufactured from thebaine, a morphinan alkaloid obtained from the poppy plant. However, thebaine has a low abundance in natural poppy strains, its production is geographically concentrated, and recent years have seen global shortages. These factors present a potential vulnerability in the buprenorphine supply chain. Herein, we report the synthesis of buprenorphine from morphine, the most abundant and cheapest poppy alkaloid. To streamline the synthesis, with practical manufacture in mind, our route combines multiple transformations into several one-pot sequences. The synthesis of buprenorphine from a more available starting material may help to ensure continued supply of this critical therapeutic.

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Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@misc{messias2026synthesis,
  title = {{Synthesis of Buprenorphine from Morphine}},
  author = {Robert Messias and Jonathan C. Moore and Kieran D. Jones and Stephen P. Argent and Aakarsh Saxena and Hon Wai Lam},
  howpublished = {ChemRxiv},
  year = {2026},
  month = oct,
  doi = {10.26434/chemrxiv.15009962/v1},
  url = {https://chemrxiv.org/doi/full/10.26434/chemrxiv.15009962/v1},
  note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY  - UNPB
TI  - Synthesis of Buprenorphine from Morphine
AU  - Robert Messias
AU  - Jonathan C. Moore
AU  - Kieran D. Jones
AU  - Stephen P. Argent
AU  - Aakarsh Saxena
AU  - Hon Wai Lam
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/10/06
PB  - ChemRxiv
DO  - 10.26434/chemrxiv.15009962/v1
UR  - https://chemrxiv.org/doi/full/10.26434/chemrxiv.15009962/v1
AB  - Buprenorphine is a WHO essential medicine widely used to treat pain and opioid addiction, which is currently manufactured from thebaine, a morphinan alkaloid obtained from the poppy plant. However, thebaine has a low abundance in natural poppy strains, its production is geographically concentrated, and recent years have seen global shortages. These factors present a potential vulnerability in the buprenorphine supply chain. Herein, we report the synthesis of buprenorphine from morphine, the most abundant and cheapest poppy alkaloid. To streamline the synthesis, with practical manufacture in mind, our route combines multiple transformations into several one-pot sequences. The synthesis of buprenorphine from a more available starting material may help to ensure continued supply of this critical therapeutic.
ER  -