What is "sufentanil"

n. (context pharmaceutical drug English) A particular narcotic painkiller.

Sufentanil (R30730, brand name Sufenta) is a synthetic opioid analgesic drug approximately five to 10 times more potent than its parent drug, fentanyl, and 500 times as potent as morphine. Structurally, sufentanil differs from fentanyl through the addition of a methoxy group on the piperidine ring (which is believed to reduce duration of action), and the replacement of the phenylethyl group by thiofuran. Sufentanil is marketed for use by specialist centers under different trade names, such as Sufenta and Sufentil ( India, by Claris Lifesciences Ltd.). Sufentanil was synthesized at Janssen Pharmaceutica in 1974.

Sufentanil with and without lidocaine or mepivacaine is available as a transdermal patch similar to Duragesic in Europe under trade names such as Chronogesic.