Researchers Identify 304 Semi-Synthetic 7-OH and Pseudoindoxyl Products Misleadingly Marketed as Kratom

Why it matters

This study is the first systematic catalog of the 7-OH and mitragynine pseudoindoxyl (MP) product market, revealing that hundreds of highly potent, lab-synthesized opioid compounds are being sold under the "kratom" label — with no human safety data and no regulatory oversight.

The big picture

The kratom market has fractured into two very different categories: traditional leaf products with modest pharmacological activity and semisynthetic concentrates with morphine-level potency. Regulators and the public have struggled to distinguish them. This study gives the first quantified picture of the scale of the synthetic market and how it is being presented to consumers.

Key findings

• Researchers identified 304 distinct 7-OH and mitragynine pseudoindoxyl (MP) products sold online between September 2024 and February 2025
• 82.2% were 7-OH-only formulations; 14.5% were 7-OH/MP combinations; 3.3% were MP-only
• 92% of 7-OH products and virtually all MP products were marketed explicitly as "kratom" despite being lab-synthesized compounds absent or present only in trace amounts in natural kratom leaf
• 73.3% of products made effect claims; 37.8% made pain or anxiety relief claims; 12.5% made explicit drug claims
• Mean cost per recommended dose was $3.97, with MP products averaging closer to $5 per serving

What they say

"The increasing proliferation and availability of 7-OH and MP products is concerning as these products, and their chemical constituents, have never been studied in humans. Such formulations are not comparable to kratom leaf or extract products despite marketing material suggesting otherwise." — Hill et al., Drug and Alcohol Dependence (2025)

Bottom line

A comprehensive market analysis found 304 highly potent, lab-synthesized opioid products — containing 7-OH and mitragynine pseudoindoxyl — being openly sold as "kratom" online, with no human safety data and marketing claims that would violate supplement regulations.