Weekly Dose: phenibut – the Russian anti-anxiety drug linked to Gold Coast teens' overdoses
- Written by Janet Cheung, Lecturer in Pharmacology, University of Sydney
Phenibut was included in medical kits for Russian cosmonauts for its anti-anxiety and tranquilising properties.Wikimedia Commons
Phenibut was initially developed in the 1960s in Russia as an anti-anxiety (anxiolytic) drug with cognitive enhancing properties. It has since attracted a strong following of users in the “smart drug” market,...