Health · Mislabeled supplementSan Francisco overdose: Undisclosed MGM-15 found in supplement after fatal caseAired October 26, 2026 at 2:59 AM UTCWritten October 26, 2026 at 3:07 AM UTCRead the write-upThis storyTranscript · LOADING0:07Tablets sold as cat's claw contained an undisclosed opioid involved in a fatal0:11overdose.0:12San Francisco has identified its first known fatal overdose involving MGM fifteen, a0:16chemically modified crutome-derived opioid.0:18It's not approved for any medical use.0:20How far the affected supply reaches is still unclear.0:23A37-year old man died in San Francisco in late September after consuming the0:28tablets.0:29The city's first known designation applies to a fatal overdose involving MGM150:34within San Francisco.0:35The compound had already appeared in overdoses elsewhere.0:38Utah officials linked MGM15 and a related compound to four deaths in that state.0:43The Washington Poison Center also reported four confirmed deaths involving0:46misrepresented herbal products containing those compounds.0:49Those warnings involved products sold as cat's claw, extending the concern beyond0:53this one city.0:54The identified brand was Script Botanical's X.0:57Maui Labs.0:58Its chewable tablets were marketed as Cat's Claw using the botanical name Uncaria1:02tomantosa extract.1:04Testing found MGM fifteen in the associated product.1:07Even though the package didn't disclose that ingredient, the packaging also left out1:10kratom and seven hydroxymetrogenane, often shortened to seven OH.1:15Products of this kind are marketed through gas stations and smoke shops.1:19The warning doesn't identify the particular store where this man obtained his1:22tablets.1:22Cat's claw itself doesn't contain MGM fifteen.1:25It's a woody vine found in the Amazon and other tropical areas of Central and South1:29America.1:30The danger here comes from an undisclosed opioid in a product sold under that1:34plant's name.1:35MGM15 is made by chemically modifying a kratom-related compound.1:39Seven, OH occurs naturally in trace amounts in kratom, a different plant.1:44Chemical modification produces MGM fifteen.1:47Someone relying on the herbal description could encounter an opioid capable of1:50causing a fatal overdose.1:51The medical examiner detected MGM fifteen in the man and in the associated product1:56or package.1:57The examiner ruled the death accidental and attributed it to the toxic effects of2:00kratom alkaloids.2:02That finding covers a broader group of compounds.2:04The package contained four tablets.2:06That describes what was in the package.2:08Investigators haven't said how many the man swallowed.2:11Another number on the label needs care because a printed amount can sound like a2:14measured drug dose.2:15Each tablet carried a labeled amount of100 milligrams of unkaryotomatosa extract.2:20Testing hasn't supplied a measured amount of MGM15 per tablet, so the label can't2:24tell a consumer how much of that opioid they're taking.2:27The health department directed its warning to health care providers as well as the2:31public.2:31An herbal label can hide an opioid exposure from the person using the product and2:35from someone trying to understand why they're ill.2:37The man died in late September.2:39San Francisco issued the public health warning on Wednesday, October201 .2:44The alert brought the laboratory finding to consumers and health care providers2:47weeks after the death, identifying a drug the product's label hadn't disclosed.2:51This was San Francisco's second public warning about a synthetic opioid that year.2:55In April, the city warned about cyclorphine after a sixteen-year old boy's overdose2:59death.3:00The current warning concerns MGM15 and the identified supplement.3:03The affected supply still has no defined boundary.3:06How much remains available and which batches are affected are unknown.3:09The health warning identifies this product, but it doesn't give consumers a reliable3:13way to determine the opioid dose in a package.3:15For someone who appears to be overdosing, health officials advise calling nine3:19hundred eleven and administering naloxone, a medicine used to reverse opioid3:23overdoses.3:23That advice applies even when the product the person took was sold as an herbal3:27supplement.Explore with HeyDexFollow via RSSThe shortThe short ↗
