Reference articles on history, science, culture and more
Surprise meSurprise meSubscribe
Encyclopedia

5-MBPB

Chemical compound

Wikipedia contributorsAdapted for Fathomly · View authors
1 min read
Source updated July 21, 2026
Image credit is listed at the end of this article.

5-MBPB (also known as 5-MPBP and 5-MABB) is an amphetamine and phenylisobutylamine derivative which is structurally related to MDMA and has been sold as a designer drug. It can be described as the benzofuran-5-yl analogue of MBDB or the butanamine homologue of 5-MAPB, and is also a structural isomer of 5-EAPB and 6-EAPB. Anecdotal reports suggest this compound has been sold as a designer drug in various European countries since early 2015, but the first definitive identification was made in December 2015 by a forensic laboratory in Slovenia.

5-MBPB is similar in structure to compounds such as 5-APB which are claimed to be agonists of the 5-HT2C receptor.

5-MBPB (5-MABB) has been found to act as a potent serotonin-norepinephrine-dopamine releasing agent (SNDRA), with preference for induction of serotonin release over norepinephrine and dopamine release, and fully substitutes for MDMA in animal drug discrimination tests. Unlike 5-MAPB, it is a relatively weak serotonin 5-HT1B receptor agonist.

Watch videos about 5-MBPBExplainers and documentaries on YouTube (opens in a new tab)

Sources and credits

This article is adapted from the Wikipedia article “5-MBPB”, written by its contributors and licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Fathomly has changed the layout, removed citation markers, navigation and maintenance notices, and adjusted punctuation. This adapted version is shared under the same license. For references, see the original article.

Images, from Wikimedia Commons:

Fathomly is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Wikimedia Foundation. Spotted a problem? Tell us.

Continue exploring

Related topics

Substituted benzofuran

The substituted benzofurans are a class of chemical compounds based on the heterocyclic and polycyclic compound benzofuran. Many medicines use the benzofuran core as a scaffold, but most commonly the term is used to refer to the simpler compounds in this class which include numerous psychoactive drugs, including stimulants, psychedelics and empathogens.

6-MBPB

6-MBPB, also known as 6-benzofuran (6-MABB), is a monoamine releasing agent (MRA) and entactogen-like drug of the amphetamine, phenylisobutylamine, and benzofuran families. It is a positional isomer of 5-MBPB (5-MABB).