Peer-reviewedCC BY 4.0Drug Testing and Analysis
First Occurrence of Fatal Intoxication Involving Methiodone (IC‐26) in Finland; a Medicolegal Autopsy Case Report
4 affiliations
- 1Forensic Medicine Unit Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare Oulu Finland
- 2Research Unit of Biomedicine and Internal Medicine, Medical Research Center (MRC) Oulu University of Oulu Oulu Finland
- 3Forensic Chemistry Unit Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare Helsinki Finland
- 4Department of Forensic Medicine University of Helsinki Helsinki Finland
Abstract
Methiodone (IC‐26) is a non‐fentanyl novel synthetic opioid which has recently been detected in drug seizures in Europe. There is still limited data about the drug in published toxicological case work, both in non‐fatal and fatal cases. We present a medicolegal autopsy case report on a fatal intoxication in an individual undergoing opioid agonist treatment. A methiodone concentration of 1.5 mg/L was detected in the femoral vein blood and was considered the primary intoxicant causing death. This is the first published occurrence of fatal intoxication involving methiodone in Finland and emphasizes the need for constant monitoring of substance abuse during substitution therapy, including the potential use of novel synthetic opioids.
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BibTeX
@article{pakanen2026first,
title = {{First Occurrence of Fatal Intoxication Involving Methiodone (IC‐26) in Finland; a Medicolegal Autopsy Case Report}},
author = {Lasse Pakanen and Raimo A. Ketola and Pirkko Kriikku},
journal = {Drug Testing and Analysis},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.1002/dta.70148},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1002/dta.70148},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - First Occurrence of Fatal Intoxication Involving Methiodone (IC‐26) in Finland; a Medicolegal Autopsy Case Report
AU - Lasse Pakanen
AU - Raimo A. Ketola
AU - Pirkko Kriikku
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/11
JO - Drug Testing and Analysis
DO - 10.1002/dta.70148
UR - https://doi.org/10.1002/dta.70148
AB - Methiodone (IC‐26) is a non‐fentanyl novel synthetic opioid which has recently been detected in drug seizures in Europe. There is still limited data about the drug in published toxicological case work, both in non‐fatal and fatal cases. We present a medicolegal autopsy case report on a fatal intoxication in an individual undergoing opioid agonist treatment. A methiodone concentration of 1.5 mg/L was detected in the femoral vein blood and was considered the primary intoxicant causing death. This is the first published occurrence of fatal intoxication involving methiodone in Finland and emphasizes the need for constant monitoring of substance abuse during substitution therapy, including the potential use of novel synthetic opioids.
SN - 1942-7603
SN - 1942-7611
ER -