A new drug called nitazene, stronger than fentanyl, has appeared in Central Indiana. It was recently connected to a fatal overdose. The Hamilton County Coroner says nitazene is sometimes called the “Frankenstein Drug” because of its potency.

Nitazene was found in a 39-year-old man who died. The coroner said the first toxicology report was negative, even though there was clear evidence of an overdose. The county then asked the lab to look for more substances, and that’s when they discovered nitazene.

“Most people are purchasing this drug unknown,” Coroner Jeff Jellison said. “They’re ordering pills through the black market pharmacy. They’re just actually getting a cocktail of poison.”

The Fishers Police Department is investigating to find out if the pill came from an overseas black market pharmacy or if it was sold locally in Indiana.

Nitazene, the drug found in the recent case, was discovered in the 1950s as a potential replacement for morphine. However, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration never approved​