"Methadone was first synthesized in 1937 by German scientists Max Bockmühl and Gustav Ehrhart at the IG Farben company. They were searching for a painkiller that would be easier to use during surgery, with less addiction potential than morphine or heroin. Yet methadone is believed by many to be even more addictive than heroin. Meanwhile, the illegal opium trade boomed. By 1995, Southeast Asia was producing 2,500 tons annually." https://www.drugfreeworld.org/drugfacts/painkillers/a-short-history.html