Short answers, pulled from the story.
Lazăr Edeleanu synthesized amphetamine in 1887 while working as a Romanian chemist in Germany. He originally named the compound phenylisopropylamine and described it as a clear volatile liquid with a strong amine odor.
Gordon Alles independently resynthesized the compound and reported its stimulant effects in 1927. This discovery revealed that the drug could stimulate the central nervous system and laid the groundwork for the first pharmaceutical product Benzedrine.
Amphetamine has the chemical formula C9H13N and exists as two enantiomers known as levoamphetamine and dextroamphetamine. It is a methyl homolog of the mammalian neurotransmitter phenethylamine and exists as a racemic 1:1 mixture of these two enantiomers.
The Controlled Substances Act of the early 1970s classified amphetamine as a schedule II controlled substance in the United States. This classification followed the recognition of the drug's addictive properties and its extensive distribution during World War II.
At therapeutic doses amphetamine increases the concentrations of dopamine and norepinephrine in the brain by altering monoamine transporters. This process causes emotional and cognitive effects such as euphoria increased wakefulness and improved cognitive control.
Lisdexamfetamine is the only USFDA and TGA approved pharmacotherapy for binge eating disorder as of July 2024. It converts to dextroamphetamine which increases dopaminergic and noradrenergic neurotransmission in the prefrontal cortex.