Pentobarbital
NERVOUS SYSTEM
Also known as: ethaminal, mebubarbital, nembutal, neodorm, pentabarbitone, pentobarbital calcium, pentobarbital sodium, pentobarbitone, pentobarbituric acid, phetobarbitone, sodium pentobarbital
Data last refreshed: (DrugCentral release 2024-11-01)
Key facts
Pentobarbital is an ofp drug catalogued in DrugCentral. It was first approved by the FDA in 1973. DrugCentral lists 5 molecular targets, including Gabrp|Gabrb1|Gabrd|Gabrg2|Gabra5|Gabra3|Gabrg1|Gabra2|Gabra4|Gabrg3|Gabra6|Gabra1|Gabrb3|Gabrb2|Gabrq|Gabre, GABRA1|GABRG2|GABRB2 and GABRG2|GABRA2|GABRB2. Recorded indications include Cerebral ischemia, Epilepsy, General anesthesia and Insomnia.
- Approval status: ofp (first approved 1973 by the FDA).
- Molecular targets: Gabrp|Gabrb1|Gabrd|Gabrg2|Gabra5|Gabra3|Gabrg1|Gabra2|Gabra4|Gabrg3|Gabra6|Gabra1|Gabrb3|Gabrb2|Gabrq|Gabre, GABRA1|GABRG2|GABRB2, GABRG2|GABRA2|GABRB2 and GABRB3 (5 listed in DrugCentral).
- Indications: Cerebral ischemia, Epilepsy, General anesthesia, Insomnia and Local anesthesia and others.
- ATC code: N05CA01 (Barbiturates, plain).
- Molecular formula: C11H18N2O3; molecular weight 226.28 g/mol.
Indications & contraindications
Drug–disease relationships curated by DrugCentral (OMOP / SNOMED concepts).
Indications (9)
- Cerebral ischemia
- Epilepsy
- General anesthesia
- Insomnia
- Local anesthesia
- Seizure disorder
- Severe anxiety (panic)
- Status epilepticus
- Tetanus Adjunct Treatment
Off-label uses (1)
- Benign intracranial hypertension
Contraindications (28)
- Acute exacerbation of asthma
- Alcoholism
- Anemia
- Apnea
- Chronic obstructive lung disease
- Decreased respiratory function
- Depressive disorder
- Disease of liver
- Disorder of lung
- Heart disease
- Hepatic coma
- Hepatic encephalopathy
- Hepatic failure
- Hyperactive behavior
- Hyperammonemia
- Hypertensive disorder
- Kidney disease
- Low blood pressure
- Neutropenic disorder
- Pneumonia
- Porphyria
- Pregnancy, function
- Respiratory insufficiency
- Sleep apnea
- Sleep automatism
- Substance abuse
- Suicidal thoughts
- Thrombocytopenic disorder
Mechanism & targets
Molecular targets (5)
| Target | Gene | Action | Activity |
|---|---|---|---|
| GABA-A receptor; anion channel | Gabrp|Gabrb1|Gabrd|Gabrg2|Gabra5|Gabra3|Gabrg1|Gabra2|Gabra4|Gabrg3|Gabra6|Gabra1|Gabrb3|Gabrb2|Gabrq|Gabre | unknown | IC50 5.77 |
| GABA-A receptor alpha-1/beta-2/gamma-2 | GABRA1|GABRG2|GABRB2 | positive allosteric modulator | EC50 4.30 |
| GABA A receptor alpha-2/beta-2/gamma-2 | GABRG2|GABRA2|GABRB2 | unknown | EC50 4.30 |
| Gamma-aminobutyric acid receptor subunit beta-3 | GABRB3 | positive allosteric modulator | IC50 4.06 |
| Potassium voltage-gated channel subfamily H member 2 | KCNH2 | unknown | IC50 2.55 |
Regulatory approvals (1)
| Date | Agency | Marketed as | Applicant | Orphan |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1973-09-19 | FDA | — | OAK PHARMS |
ATC classification
| ATC code | Therapeutic hierarchy |
|---|---|
N05CA01 | NERVOUS SYSTEM › PSYCHOLEPTICS › HYPNOTICS AND SEDATIVES › Barbiturates, plain |
Reported adverse-event signals
Strongest FDA FAERS disproportionality signals (log-likelihood ratio). A signal is a statistical association in spontaneous reports, not proof that the drug causes the event.
| MedDRA term | LLR |
|---|---|
| Drug ineffective for unapproved indication | 290.6 |
| Propofol infusion syndrome | 222.4 |
| Mitochondrial DNA mutation | 195.0 |
| Status epilepticus | 176.2 |
| Multiple-drug resistance | 147.7 |
| CSF oligoclonal band present | 145.8 |
| Blood gases abnormal | 136.8 |
| Gene mutation | 131.2 |
| Toxicity to various agents | 129.2 |
| Drug ineffective | 119.7 |
| Pleocytosis | 116.5 |
| Off label use | 106.9 |
Chemical structure
Full physicochemical, ADMET and 3D-structure analysis of Pentobarbital is on its molecule page.
| Molecular formula | C11H18N2O3 |
|---|---|
| Molecular weight | 226.28 g/mol |
| CAS number | 76-74-4 |
| InChIKey | WEXRUCMBJFQVBZ-UHFFFAOYSA-N |
| PubChem CID | 4737 |
Frequently asked questions
Answers are generated from the structured data on this page, not written by hand.
What is Pentobarbital used for?
DrugCentral lists the following indications for Pentobarbital: Cerebral ischemia, Epilepsy, General anesthesia, Insomnia, Local anesthesia, Seizure disorder, Severe anxiety (panic) and Status epilepticus and others.
How does Pentobarbital work?
Its molecular targets in DrugCentral include Gabrp|Gabrb1|Gabrd|Gabrg2|Gabra5|Gabra3|Gabrg1|Gabra2|Gabra4|Gabrg3|Gabra6|Gabra1|Gabrb3|Gabrb2|Gabrq|Gabre, GABRA1|GABRG2|GABRB2 (positive allosteric modulator), GABRG2|GABRA2|GABRB2 and GABRB3 (positive allosteric modulator).
When was Pentobarbital first approved?
Pentobarbital was first approved by the FDA in 1973.
What is the chemical formula of Pentobarbital?
Pentobarbital has the molecular formula C11H18N2O3 and a molecular weight of 226.28 g/mol.
Browse: all drugs starting with P · drug guides by category · protein targets A–Z.
Sources
- DrugCentral drug card 2095 — structure, indications, targets, approvals, pharmacologic classes (CC BY-SA 4.0)
- ChEMBL CHEMBL448 — compound record and bioactivity
- PubChem CID 4737 — chemical identifiers
- DrugBank DB00312 — drug record
- FDA UNII I4744080IR — substance identity
- DailyMed: FDA labels for Pentobarbital — current prescribing information (label search)
- UniProt P28472 (GABRB3) — target protein
- UniProt Q12809 (KCNH2) — target protein
- FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (openFDA FAERS) — adverse-event signals, as aggregated by DrugCentral
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