Research chemicalIboga alkaloidTryptamine-derivedAnti-addiction agent

Noribogaine (12-Hydroxyibogamine)

Also known as 12-Hydroxyibogamine · O-Desmethylibogaine · noribogaine HCl

Written by enwyReviewed 5 Aug 20261 sources0 comments

Noribogaine is the principal active metabolite of ibogaine, formed by demethylation. It is longer-lived than ibogaine and has been studied for opioid withdrawal and addiction interruption. Like ibogaine it carries a documented risk of QT prolongation and potentially fatal cardiac arrhythmia.

01 Overview

Noribogaine (12-hydroxyibogamine) is produced when the body metabolises ibogaine and is thought to mediate much of the drug's persistent effects. It has a substantially longer half-life than ibogaine and has been the subject of early-phase pharmaceutical development for opioid dependence, including small clinical safety and pharmacokinetic studies.

While it lacks ibogaine's strong acute psychedelic/oneiric intensity, it shares the class's principal danger: blockade of the hERG potassium channel, which prolongs the cardiac QT interval and can trigger life-threatening arrhythmias. Human data remains limited to early trials.

02 Mechanism

Acts on multiple targets including opioid receptors (partial kappa/mu activity), serotonin transporter modulation and nicotinic receptors; blocks the hERG channel, prolonging QT.

03 Dosing

Tier	Dose	Route	Notes
Clinical study range	60–120 mg	Oral	Single-dose ranges used in early-phase human safety/PK trials.

04 Effects

Effect	Magnitude	Evidence
Opioid withdrawal suppressionReduction of opioid withdrawal signs, the primary therapeutic interest in early trials.	variable	Clinical
Mild mood and craving changesReduced craving and mood shifts reported; less acutely psychoactive than ibogaine.	variable	Anecdotal

05 Side effects

Effect	Severity	Frequency	Evidence	Countermeasures
Nausea and dizzinessNausea, light-headedness and unsteadiness reported in trials.	Moderate	Common	Clinical
QT prolongation and arrhythmiaDose-dependent QT-interval prolongation observed in trials, with risk of torsades de pointes and sudden death, mirroring ibogaine fatalities.	Life-threatening	Common (dose-dependent)	Clinical

06 Legal status

United Kingdom

May fall under tryptamine/Psychoactive Substances provisions

as of Jan 2026

United States

Not federally scheduled; investigational

Ibogaine itself is Schedule I; noribogaine's status is less defined but treated as investigational. · as of Jan 2026

07 References

Glue P, et al. Ascending single-dose, double-blind, placebo-controlled safety study of noribogaine in opioid-dependent patientsClinical Pharmacology in Drug Development, 2016

08 Discussion0 comments

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This page is reference information, not medical advice. Doses and protocols are documented as they appear in the clinical literature and in practice — describing them is not a recommendation to use them. Countermeasures listed here are not a substitute for a physician. Legal status varies by jurisdiction and changes.