Health
Inside a One-Man Workshop for Ultrapotent Drugs
Last fall, a man who calls himself Chemical Analyst allowed the two of us – New York Times reporters writing about the illegal drug trade – to watch on a secure video call as he packaged ultrapotent synthetic drugs for distribution.
These chemicals now flood the modern drug market. Many have psychoactive effects that are much more intense than those of traditional drugs. One newly emerging drug, cychlorphine, can be 250 to 500 times as strong as heroin and 10 times as strong as fentanyl.
Chemical Analyst is a small-time, independent dealer who supplies powerful drugs without a cartel or gang for support. From an apartment in the northeastern United States, he places online orders for drugs made in a lab in China, repackages them and sells them domestically.
Operations like this represent the frontier of a drug market that is increasingly democratized. Compounds can be made in labs all over the world, ordered online and shipped anywhere. And because these drugs are often entirely new chemical compounds, they are difficult for law enforcement officials to detect.
We interviewed Chemical Analyst over the course of a year, after meeting him through others who use and sell these new, potent drugs.
He allowed The Times to observe his operation on the condition that his identity would remain confidential. He is a felon on probation who fears further prosecution. He is also a functional addict who regularly buys, sells and ingests some of the most potent drugs in the world.
The Times decided to describe parts of his process because they are vital to understanding both the origins of ultrapotent drugs and the difficulties faced by law enforcement in tracking and interdicting these new compounds.
In 2022 and 2023, Chemical Analyst was a street dealer of fentanyl and crack. His setup at an apartment “is so much safer,” he said. “I don’t have to worry about running if a cop rolls up through the alley,” he added. As his own use gravitated to more potent drugs, he developed the connections and expertise to sell them, too.
His latest drugs arrived in mid-October from China in a silver Mylar bag. He paid $4,370 in cryptocurrency for the shipment, which contained several powerful and potentially deadly synthetic compounds.
One bag held a 100-gram slab of MD-PiHP. The drug is a cathinone, a class of stimulants often sold as “bath salts” that can induce psychosis. In markets where these stimulants are particularly popular, like Miami, they are increasingly showing up in toxicology reports from people who suffer fatal overdoses.
On the secure video call, Chemical Analyst measured 100-milligram crystals of the drug into small bags. He sprayed the bags with bleach to remove his DNA, applied labels from an untraceable thermal printer and wore textured latex gloves to keep the bags clean of fingerprints. Because Chemical Analyst is a convicted felon, his prints are already in state databases.
He moved the drugs into smaller baggies and weighed them. He then sealed them into packages for shipment. He wrote a false return address so he could not be traced and drove far from his residence to drop them in the mail.
Chemical Analyst said that people might assume he sold on the “darknet,” a restricted network that requires special software to access. But he has a website on the regular internet, and he takes steps to conceal his whereabouts and identity. He accepts cryptocurrency payments, but he avoids Bitcoin because he worries that it might be trackable.
Drugs like this are hard to police in part because their composition changes all the time. The molecular structure of MD-PiHP is nearly identical to that of MDPV, a potent cathinone that appeared in 2010 and can cause extreme psychosis and death.
Chemical Analyst spoke in detail about the chemistry of these novel drugs. He offered to draw MD-PiHP to show important facets of its structure; shortly after the video call, he texted his illustration.
Chemical Analyst first spotted an online listing for the drug in early 2025. He is familiar enough with drug molecules that the structure alone made him want to try it. He was surprised by its potency and effects. “This is not something humans should be getting high on,” he said, adding an expletive.
He worried that the drug’s potency could produce a high so intense that it “could easily cause anhedonia,” an inability to experience joy when sober. He said that, unlike other suppliers, he did not adulterate his products, so they were predictable and therefore safer. “It’s how I pay the bills,” he said.
His operation also shows just how inexpensive illicit drugs have become in the age of synthetics. In his recent shipment from China, he ordered half a dozen different substances, paying between $6 and $28 for a pure gram, depending on the drug. A standard dose is 50 to 100 milligrams, meaning that the cost of getting high is often less than $1.
He keeps a collection of novel drug samples, as well as a separate stash for his own consumption.
Chemical Analyst plays another important role in the emergence of ultrapotent synthetic drugs. He is part of a small but influential circle of armchair chemists and theorists who discuss ideas for new drugs and scour medical literature for forgotten molecules.
He said that some members of these groups interacted with Chinese manufacturers to discuss new drug ideas. “They get ideas from us,” he said. “We have direct contact with them.”
A source at a Chinese drug manufacturer confirmed to The Times that new drug ideas were introduced first to small dealers and users like Chemical Analyst to test their popularity. If a drug catches on, it might be introduced to the mass market, which continues to rapidly transform.
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The sudden death of Kyle Busch has drawn attention to a rare but devastating medical progression: when pneumonia escalates into fatal sepsis.
An ER doctor spoke with Fox News Digital about how sepsis can trigger a rapid health decline.
“Sepsis is actually not a specific disease or diagnosis, but rather the syndrome that occurs when the body has certain abnormal findings and a presumed infection,” said Dr. Kenneth J. Perry, a South Carolina-based emergency medicine physician.
HOW PNEUMONIA PROGRESSES TO SEPSIS: DOCTORS EXPLAIN AFTER KYLE BUSCH’S DEATH
The markers of sepsis include elevated white blood cell counts, a high or low temperature, and elevated heart and respiratory rates, according to Perry. Because of this, a patient with pneumonia is often already technically septic by definition.
In the wake of Kyle Busch’s sudden passing, there is a focus on the rapid decline from pneumonia to fatal sepsis. (Getty; iStock)
While many people assume a worsening infection means bacteria are multiplying uncontrollably, it often has more to do with the body’s internal environment.
“It is often not the bacteria itself that is causing the specific decline,” Perry said. “In most cases, it is a cascade of inflammatory processes that are set in motion by the infection.”
When this inflammation spirals out of control, the body moves from having a manageable infection into severe sepsis. This is when otherwise healthy people can rapidly deteriorate.
SURGE IN WALKING PNEUMONIA AFFECTS THESE HIGH-RISK GROUPS, SAYS DR. MARC SIEGEL
“The concerning thing that can happen with any individual … is that sepsis can then lead to low blood pressure, worsening vital signs and organ damage,” Perry said.
“As multiple organs fail, it becomes very difficult for the medical team to treat and can sometimes lead ultimately to death.”
“The medical evaluation provided to the Busch Family concluded that severe pneumonia progressed into sepsis, resulting in rapid and overwhelming associated complications,” the family shared in a statement. (James Gilbert/Getty Images)
It is very unlikely to have pneumonia and not have any symptoms, according to Perry. Early signs can mimic a severe flu, including fevers, chills, a productive cough, and chest or back pain in cases where the lung is infected.
When sepsis begins to take hold, time becomes the most critical factor. “We have known for a number of years that early antibiotic therapy is beneficial in the treatment of sepsis,” Perry said.
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If you or a loved one are managing an infection at home, the doctor says the following red flags mean you should bypass the clinic and head straight to the emergency room.
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- Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
- A racing heart rate or fever that continues to worsen even after starting treatment
- Severe chest pain associated with a productive cough
The slide into sepsis is, in most cases, a cascade of inflammatory processes that are set in motion by the infection, the doctor said. (iStock)
While cases like Busch’s are tragic, Perry stressed that this shouldn’t cause widespread panic. Most patients with pneumonia do very well with standard oral antibiotics.
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The NASCAR star’s rapid decline underscores the importance of medical vigilance and “having a primary care physician with whom you have a good relationship,” according to the ER doctor.
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“Monitoring symptoms while having easy access to primary care is a very beneficial and appropriate plan for most patients,” he added.
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Popular glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) weight-loss drugs may help slow the spread of some cancers, according to new research to be presented at a major medical conference.
Research led by Cleveland Clinic found that the medications may reduce the spread of several obesity-related cancers, including lung, breast, colorectal and liver cancers.
The findings will be presented at the 2026 ASCO Annual Meeting next week in Chicago.
WEIGHT-LOSS DRUGS NOW LINKED TO CANCER PROTECTION IN WOMEN, MAJOR NEW STUDY REVEALS
According to a press release, the real-world retrospective study included 12,112 patients with the following types of obesity-related cancers, ranging from stage 1 to stage 3.
Popular GLP-1 weight-loss drugs may help slow the spread of some cancers, according to new research to be presented at a major medical conference. (iStock)
- Breast adenocarcinoma
- Prostate adenocarcinoma
- Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)
- Colorectal adenocarcinoma
- Hepatocellular carcinoma (liver cancer)
- Renal cell carcinoma
- Pancreatic adenocarcinoma
Half of the participants started a GLP-1 medication – semaglutide, tirzepatide, dulaglutide, liraglutide, lixisenatide or pramlintide – after their cancer diagnosis.
The other half began taking a DPP-4 inhibitor comparator “gliptins,” a different class of diabetes medications, the study noted.
WEIGHT-LOSS DRUGS’ IMPACT ON CANCER RISK REVEALED IN NEW STUDY
Compared to the patients taking gliptins, the GLP-1 users were found to have significantly lower progression to stage 4 disease for four types of cancers.
The biggest risk reduction was for non-small cell lung cancer (50%), followed by breast cancer (43%), colorectal cancer (31%) and liver cancer (38%).
Compared to the patients taking gliptins, the GLP-1 users were found to have significantly lower progression to stage 4 disease for four types of cancers. (iStock)
“Our study found that use of GLP-1 drugs, compared to DPP-4 inhibitors and other antidiabetic drugs, was associated with a meaningful reduction in cancer progression across four solid tumor types,” said lead study author Mark David Orland, MD, of the Taussig Cancer Institute at Cleveland Clinic, in the release. “It provides early evidence that future studies are worth pursuing.”
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Three other types of cancer – prostate, pancreatic and kidney – also had lower rates of spread among those taking GLP-1s, but those differences were “not statistically significant,” the researchers noted.
“Our study found that use of GLP-1 drugs … was associated with a meaningful reduction in cancer progression across four solid tumor types.”
Tumors with higher levels of GLP-1 receptors — proteins that help cells respond to GLP-1 hormones and drugs — were also linked to better survival outcomes, according to the study findings.
Overall, patients whose tumors had more of these receptors were about one-third less likely to die during the study period.
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The incidence of adverse side effects was similar between GLP-1 and gliptin groups.
The findings suggest that GLP-1 pathways may directly influence how some cancers grow or spread, though researchers say more studies are needed to understand the mechanism behind this effect.
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The study, which has not yet been peer-reviewed, had some limitations, according to the researchers. As it was retrospective and observational in design – as opposed to a randomized clinical trial – it couldn’t prove that GLP-1 drugs directly prevent cancer progression.
The findings suggest that GLP-1 pathways may directly influence how some cancers grow or spread, though researchers say more studies are needed to understand the mechanism behind this effect. (iStock)
Other factors, such as participants’ health conditions, weight loss and metabolic improvements, may have influenced the results, researchers noted.
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For some specific cancer types, there may not have been enough patients represented to detect statistically significant differences.
Further randomized clinical trials are needed to evaluate these preliminary findings and to determine the specific ways in which GLP-1s control cancer progression.
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The benefits of grapes could go beyond providing a healthy snack.
According to a study published in the journal ACS Nutrition Science, regular grape consumption can change how the genes behave, giving the skin an added defense system against sun damage.
The research, led by scientists at Western New England University, suggests that grapes could trigger changes in DNA.
EATING A COMMON VITAMIN-C PACKED FRUIT MIGHT TOTALLY TRANSFORM SKIN, STUDY FINDS
Researchers tracked a group of volunteers who first followed a restricted diet for two weeks to clear their systems, according to a press release.
Then, for the next two weeks, they ate the equivalent of three daily servings of whole grapes, provided in a concentrated, freeze-dried powder form.
Regular grape consumption can change how the genes behave, giving the skin an added defense system against sun damage, research suggests. (iStock)
The scientists took small skin samples before and after the grape diet, testing them both under normal conditions and after exposing them to low doses of ultraviolet (UV) light from the sun.
At the start of the study, each volunteer had their own pattern of gene activity. However, these patterns shifted noticeably after they ate grapes, after they were exposed to UV light, and when the grape-eating was combined with UV exposure.
SUNLIGHT EXPOSURE CAN POSE LIFE-CHANGING HEALTH BENEFITS, EXPERT SAYS
While everyone’s individual genetic responses were unique, grape consumption changed gene expression across all participants.
When skin is exposed to UV rays, it normally creates a chemical called malondialdehyde, which is a warning sign of cellular damage. After eating grapes, the volunteers showed significantly less of this damaging chemical, the study found.
When skin is exposed to UV rays, it normally creates a chemical called malondialdehyde, which is a warning sign of cellular damage. (iStock)
“We are now certain that grapes act as a superfood and mediate a nutrigenomic response in humans,” John Pezzuto, PhD, professor and dean of the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences at Western New England University, said in the press release.
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“We observed this with the largest organ of the body, the skin. The changes in gene expression indicated improvements in skin health.”
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Pezzuto also noted that the benefits likely don’t stop at the skin.
“Beyond skin, it is nearly certain that grape consumption affects gene expression in other somatic tissues of the body, such as the liver, muscles, kidney and even brain,” he said.
“The changes in gene expression indicated improvements in skin health,” the researcher said. (iStock)
A major limitation of the study is its very small sample size, as usable, complete RNA sequencing data was successfully obtained from only four female participants, the researchers noted.
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Additionally, all four of these women shared a very similar skin type and background, meaning the genetic findings may not apply to a broader, more diverse population.
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The researchers also emphasized that regular grape consumption cannot replace traditional sunscreen or sun-safe habits, and that the study relied on a highly concentrated grape powder rather than occasional, casual snacking.
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