New drugs in an innovative market

Abstract

Nowadays there are well-known drugs, such as heroin, which are illegal and their effects are well
known. Since 2005, many new drugs have been put on the market and although we know their
chemical structure, in many cases this is all the information we have about them. These drugs are
synthesized in clandestine laboratories and try to mimic the effect of conventional drugs, but they
produce substances whose effects are currently unknown. Moreover, their toxicological profiles and
lethal doses are also unknown. In spite of these issues, the sale of the majority of them is not illegal and is unregulated legally. The current technological revolution, associated to a large extent with the Internet, also facilitates the efficient marketing of these new substances.