Methylphenobarbital

Methylphenobarbital

Clinical data
Trade names	Mebaral, generics
AHFS/Drugs.com	International Drug Names
MedlinePlus	a605022
Routes of administration	By mouth (tablets)
ATC code	N03AA01 (WHO)
Legal status
Legal status	BR: Class B1 (Psychoactive drugs)[1] CA: Schedule IV DE: Prescription only (Anlage III for higher doses) UK: Class B US: Schedule IV
Pharmacokinetic data
Protein binding	70–76%
Metabolism	Liver
Elimination half-life	34 hours
Identifiers
IUPAC name 5-Phenyl-5-ethyl-1-methylbarbituric acid
JSmol)	Interactive image
SMILES O=C1N(C(=O)NC(=O)C1(c2ccccc2)CC)C
InChI InChI=1S/C13H14N2O3/c1-3-13(9-7-5-4-6-8-9)10(16)14-12(18)15(2)11(13)17/h4-8H,3H2,1-2H3,(H,14,16,18) Y Key:ALARQZQTBTVLJV-UHFFFAOYSA-N Y
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Methylphenobarbital (

• 1935 – Mebaral was introduced by Winthrop Pharmaceuticals.
• 2001 – Methylphenobarbital discontinued in the UK.
• 2003 – Mebaral was acquired by Ovation Pharmaceuticals (a specialty pharmaceutical company that acquired under-promoted branded pharmaceutical products).
• 2009 – Ovation was acquired by Lundbeck, which now markets Mebaral.
• 2012 – Lundbeck announced that they were abandoning the product in the US as of January 6, 2012. The stated reason was because "the company thoroughly evaluated all avenues for keeping Mebaral available to patients, but ultimately concluded that no matter what steps they [i.e. Lundbeck] took, patients would be forced to transition to a new therapy."

The company further stated in a letter on its website

The use of antiepileptic drugs including methylphenobarbital during pregnancy may be associated with birth defects.[4]

Overdose

Symptoms of overdose of mephobarbital include confusion, decrease in or loss of reflexes, somnolence, fever, irritability, hypothermia, poor judgment, shortness of breath or slow/troubled breathing, slow heartbeat, slurred speech, staggering, trouble in sleeping, unusual movements of the eyes, weakness.

See also

• Hexobarbital
• Metharbital
• Phenobarbital

References