Oxycodone is a
semisynthetic opioid synthesized from
thebaine, an opioid
alkaloid found in the
Persian poppy and one of the many opioid alkaloids found in the
opium poppy. It is a
narcotic analgesic generally indicated for relief of moderate to severe pain. It was developed in 1917 in Germany as one of several new semi-synthetic opioids in an attempt to improve on the existing opioids.