Dextroamphetamine

Dextroamphetamine is a stimulant and one of the two optical isomers of amphetamine (street speed, speed paste) that is also sold as a prescription drug. The prescription drug can be found in the forms of Adderall and Dexedrine, of which Adderall consists of dextroamphetamine and levoamphetamine made by a mixture of different amphetamine salts. Dexedrine consists solely of dextroamphetamine. Other trade names for both substances exist.

Dextroamphetamine is the more potent isomer of the two, but the effects are also slightly different in character. The small difference in affinity affects the mechanism resulting in a more mentally focused stimulation rather than physical, thus creating a stimulant that is more fit for functionally/therapeutically useful drug rather than a recreational stimulant. Therefore, the dextrorotatory enantiomer is preferred in treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, whereas a racemic mixture like amphetamine is found when sold on the streets.

With regular synthesis, the resulting product will always be a racemic mixture. An enantiopure can be obtained through a biological synthesis route, where certain proteins form only one of the two isomers or through isolation of one isomer from a previously racemic mixture. Financially it would be beneficial to use the biological process, since it requires only little materials, but instead can be performed by bacteria that can be genetically altered to perform the synthesis for you. Those bacteria multiply by themselves, thus automatically creating a long-term production solution.