What is the trade name given to Methadone?
“The invention of the term ‘Adolphine’ by New York City street linguists in the 1970s was an apparent attempt to discredit methadone treatment by those unsympathetic to it, using the Hitler association” (BYRNE 1995, 20; see also KLEBER 2002). The discovery of Pethidin (pethidine), Amidon and several other synthetic opioid analgesics must not be seen isolated from Hitler’s attempt to achieve in Germany a state of economic and industrial independence of other countries (autarchy), as pronounced in 1936 when Hitler introduced his war-preparatory Four-Year-Plan (KÜHNL 1977; PIEPER 2002). As a consequence of the re-organisation and re-structuring of the German trade and industry there was also a stepping up of efforts to become independent on the import of opium needed for the production of morphine. Of course, the discovery of medications cannot be ordered by politicians or military forces. Acting together were both intensified research activities within the scope of the Four-Year-Plan as
Methadone (Symoron, Dolophine, Amidone, Methadose, Physeptone, Heptadon and many others) is a synthetic opioid, used medically as an analgesic, antitussive and a maintenance anti-addictive for use in patients on opioids. It was developed in Germany in 1937. Although chemically unlike morphine or heroin, methadone also acts on the opioid receptors and thus produces many of the same effects. Methadone is also used in managing chronic pain owing to its long duration of action and very low cost. In late 2004, the cost of a one-month supply of methadone was $120, as compared to an equivalent analgesic amount of meperidine (pethidine) at $240, up to $500 and more for hydromorphone, morphine, fentanyl, Vicodin (brand name of the generic hydrocodone with acetaminophen) and extended-release oxycodone. Methadone is useful in the treatment of opioid dependence. It has cross-tolerance with other opioids including heroin and morphine and a long duration of effect: oral doses of methadone can stabil
The drug was given the trade name Dolophine from the Latin dolor meaning pain (Cf. Dipidolor for piritramide, Dolantin for pethidine, and the “-dol” or “-phine” ending in so many trade and chemical names for analgesics of all types in German, English, French, and other languages) and was not named either in honour of or personally by Adolf Hitler. It was only in 1947 that Amidon was given the generic name “methadone” by the Council on Pharmacy and Chemistry of the American Medical Association (COUNCIL…1947). Since the patent rights of the I.G. Farbenkonzern and Farbwerke Hoechst were no longer protected each pharmaceutical company interested in the formula could purchase the rights for commercial production of methadone for just one dollar (MOLL 1990). Commercial production was first introduced in 1947 by the US company Eli-Lilly. Only then methadone was given the trade name Dolophine, derived from the Latin dolor (pain) and finis (end). Sources:
