effects. Chemistry Pentobarbital is synthesized by methods analogous to that of amobarbital, the only difference being that the alkylation of α-ethylmalonic ester is carried out with 2-bromopentane in place of 1-bromo-3-methylbutane to give pentobarbital. Pentobarbital can occur as a free acid, but is usually formulated as the sodium salt, pentobarbital sodium. The free acid is only slightly soluble in water and in ethanol while the sodium salt shows better solubility. Society and culture Pentobarbital is the INN, AAN, BAN, and USAN while pentobarbitone is a former AAN and BAN. One brand name for this drug is Nembutal, coined by John S. Lundy, who started using it in 1930, from the structural formula of the sodium salt—Na (sodium) + ethyl + methyl + butyl + al (common suffix for barbiturates). Nembutal is trademarked and manufactured by the Danish pharmaceutical company Lundbeck (now produced by Akorn Pharmaceuticals) and is the only injectable form of pentobarbital approved for sale in the United States. Abbott discontinued their Nembutal brand of pentobarbital capsules in 1999, largely replaced by the benzodiazepine family of drugs. Abbott's Nembutal, known on the streets as "yellow jackets", was widely abused. See also Animal euthanasia List of veterinary drugs References External links AMPA receptor antagonists Barbiturates CYP3A4 inducers GABAA receptor positive allosteric modulators Glycine receptor agonists Hypnotics Kainate receptor antagonists Lethal injection components Nicotinic antagonists Sedatives