Cathine

ECDD Technical summary
Cathine, chemically - (+)-threo-2-amino-1-hydroxy-1-phenylpropane, is one of the active principles of the abused plant material Catha edulis (khat). It is the single optical isomer of a structure that contains two asymmetric centres. This means that the compound can exist as two racemates (threo and erythro), each of which has two isomers, (+) and (—). The erythro racemate is commonly known as phenylpropanolamine and is widely used medically as a nasal decongestant. Phenylpropanolamine has only a low level of activity as a central stimulant, is not self-administered by experimental animals, and is not widely abused by man despite its widespread medical use. Cathine has similar central stimulatory activity to amphetamine, but is about 7-10 times less potent. Its toxicity in animals and man resembles that of amphetamine with a reduced incidence of stereotypy. Animal data indicate that cathine is discriminated as being amphetamine-like. Cathine is marketed widely as an anorectic in a variety of pharmaceutical forms and preparations. From a number of countries there are reports of the abuse of anorectics containing cathine by man. There have been numerous reports of small seizures of the drug. On the basis of the data outlined above it was the consensus of the Expert Committee that cathine met the criteria in article 2, paragraph 4, for control under the Convention on Psychotropic Substances and should be placed in Schedule II of the Convention. The Expert Committee also noted that there are few or no data available on the racemate and the (—)-isomer of cathine. These forms may be expected to have similar properties to cathine in the same way as amphetamine and cathinone resemble each other. Further study of the abuse potential of the racemate and the (—)-isomer was suggested by the Expert Committee.