A newly identified synthetic opioid estimated to be up to 40 times stronger than fentanyl has crossed South Carolina state lines, raising concerns among officials in law enforcement and the legal field.

Cychlorphine has been identified in drug analysis and toxicology samples in the state, according to South Carolina Law Enforcement Division's Forensic Services Lab.

It was discovered during an investigation in Richland County in which a woman's death did not show signs of drug use in standard toxicology testing, said S.C. Attorney General Alan Wilson.

Cychlorphine is part of a newer class of synthetic opioids that researchers said is significantly more potent than traditional drugs. Experts estimated it to be 250 to 500 times more potent than heroin and 10 to 40 times more potent than fentanyl.

According to Center for Forensic Science Research and Education, the drug was first detected in mid-2024 and has since been linked to a vast majority of fatal overdoses submitted in late 2025 to early 2026. An alert by the center was published in January 2026. At the time, cychlorphine had been detected in New York, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Illinois, Louisiana, Texas, Washington, Nevada and California as well as Canada.

Researchers have tied cychlorphine to pharmaceutical drugs first discovered in the 1960s-'70s, and it re-emerged in the recreational drug markets beginning in 2020.

State officials have warned of the drug's high potency, as even a small amount can be deadly. It may be mixed into other drugs without the user's knowledge, sold in powder form or pressed into counterfeit pills, according to Wilson.

In a recent investigation by New York Times, these substances cost a few dollars per gram to produce, with individual doses - the standard being 50 to 100 milligrams - costing less than a dollar, showing how "inexpensive illicit drugs have become in the age of synthetics."

Another concern of officials is how the drug affects one's overdose response.

Naloxone, commonly known by its brand name Narcan, works by blocking opioid receptors in the brain, but highly potent opioids can sometimes overpower a single dose.

The World Health Organization reported about half of all opioid overdose deaths in the U.S. in 2019 were a result of synthetic opioids, specifically fentanyl.

Signs of an opioid overdose can include a person being very hard to wake, slowed or stopped breathing, and blue or gray lips or nails. SLED said Narcan remains effective, but in suspected cases involving more potent synthetic opioids, multiple doses may be needed.

SLED urged in the event of a suspected overdose, call 911, give Narcan if it is available, and stay with the person until help arrives.

The question of how opioids like cychlorphine are spreading reflects a larger shift in the illicit drug market.

NYT reported some dealers are able to order lab-made substances online from overseas manufacturers at low costs to then repackage and sell domestically. That rapid evolution of opioids means new substances like cychlorphine can appear in communities with little warning.

SLED told The Item information is being prepped to provide to South Carolina's Opioid Emergency Response Team, which is made up of coroners, law enforcement, treatment professionals, emergency medical services and other partners.