Chloromorphide is an opiate analog that is a derivative of morphine, where the 6-hydroxy group has been replaced by chlorine. Developed in 1933 in Germany, it has approximately ten times the potency of morphine. It has similar effects to morphine such as sedation, analgesia and respiratory depression. Chloromorphide is one of a series of opioids known as morphides and codides which are important precursors and intermediates in the synthesis of semi-synthetic opioid analgesic drugs, especially those with additions, substitutions, or other modifications at the 7, 8, and/or 14 position on the morphine carbon skeleton. Semisynthetics with changes at other positions can also be made from these compounds. The codeine analog of chloromorphide is α-chlorocodide (alphachlorcodide), an intermediate in one method of desomorphine synthesis which uses codeine as precursor.
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