Metharbital Explained

Metharbital was patented in 1905 by Emil Fischer working for Merck.^[1] It was marketed as Gemonil by Abbott Laboratories. It is a barbiturate anticonvulsant, used in the treatment of epilepsy.^{[2] [3]} It has similar properties to phenobarbital.

History

• 1952 Gemonil was introduced by Abbott Laboratories.
• 1990 Abbott stopped marketing.

Synthesis

Metharbital can be synthesized from 2,2-diethylmalonic acid and O-methylisourea.^{[4] [5]}

Notes and References

1. US . 782742 . Trisubstituted barbituric acids and process of making them. . 14 February 1905 . E. Merck . Fischer E .
2. Book: The Treatment of Epilepsy . 2nd . Shorvon SR, Fish DR, Perucca E, Dodson WE . Blackwell . 2004 . 0-632-06046-8 .
3. Book: The Medical Treatment of Epilepsy . Resor SR . Marcel Dekker . 1991 . 0-8247-8549-5 .
4. Halpern A, Jones JW . The characterization of the trialkylbarbiturates . Journal of the American Pharmaceutical Association . 38 . 6 . 352–5 . June 1949 . 18151714 . 10.1002/jps.3030380619 .
5. Snyder JA, Link KP . Preparation and Characterization by Alkaline Methanolysis of 5,5-Diethyl-4-(tetraacetyl-β-D-glucosyloxy)-2,6(1,5)-pyrimidinedione . Journal of the American Chemical Society . 75 . 8 . 1881–1883 . 1953 . 10.1021/ja01104a030.