Chemical structure of amobarbital sodiumA vial of amytal sodium.
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Amobarbital

Amobarbital is a barbiturate with sedative-hypnotic and analgesic properties . It is a white crystalline powder with no odor and a slightly bitter taste. more...

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Mechanism of Action

According to an in vitro conducted at the University of British Columbia, amobarbital works by activating GABAA receptors, which decreases input resistance, depresses burst and tonic firing, especially in ventrobasal and intralaminar neurons, while at the same time increasing burst duration and mean conductance at individual chloride channels; this increases both the amplitude and decay time of inhibitory postsynaptic currents.

Metabolism

Amobarbital undergoes both hydroxylation to form 3'-hydroxyamobarbital, which has both levorotatory and dextrorotatory isomers and N-glucosidation to form 1-(beta-D-glucopyranosyl)amobarbital.

Uses

Approved

  • anxiety
  • insomnia
  • seizure disorders
  • catatonic mutism, sometimes combined with caffeine to combat amobarbital-induced somnolence.

Unapproved/Investigational/Off-Label

Sodium amobarbital has a reputation for having activity as a truth serum, where the person under the influence of the drug will submit to almost any request given by another person. It has been used to convict murderers such as Andres English-Howard, who strangled his girlfriend to death but pleaded innocent. He had surreptitiously been administered the drug, under the influence of which he revealed why he strangled her and under which circumstances. He was convicted on the basis of these statements, and committed suicide in his cell.

Dependence

If more than the prescribed amount is taken it can be habit forming causing a mental or physical dependence.

Overdose

Some side effects of overdose may include confusion (severe); decrease in or loss of reflexes; drowsiness (severe); fever; irritability (continuing); low body temperature; poor judgment; shortness of breath or slow or troubled breathing; slow heartbeat; slurred speech; staggering; trouble in sleeping; unusual movements of the eyes; weakness (severe).

Drug Interactions

Amobarbital has been known to decrease the effects of hormonal birth control, sometimes to the point of uselessness. Being chemically related to phenobarbital, it might also do the same thing to digitoxin, a cardiac glycoside.

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Avitar Enters Rapidly Expanding Oral Fluid-Based Laboratory Drug Testing Market
From PR Newswire, 11/29/05

Avitar Continues Track Record of Innovation and Improves Company's Ability to Compete in $1.5B Drug Testing Market

CANTON, Mass., Nov. 29 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Avitar, Inc. (BULLETIN BOARD: AVRN) ("Avitar" or the "Company") developer of the world's first oral fluid-based, on-site screen for drugs-of-abuse, today announced ORALscreenLAB(TM), a comprehensive array of laboratory-based oral fluid drug screens. With the addition of ORALscreenLAB (see more detailed product information below), Avitar now offers the industry's widest selection of oral fluid-based solutions to combat drug abuse.

"Our goal is to provide employers with all the necessary tools to significantly reduce the incidences of drug abuse on the job," said Peter Phildius, Chairman and CEO of Avitar. "Industry experts recognize that random drug screening is an extremely effective deterrent to drug abuse, however, traditional urine testing is not well suited for random screening in the corporate sector. Oral fluid-based testing is an enabling technology that provides corporations with a key component in establishing an effective drug- free workplace program."

Phildius explained, "Oral fluid-based technology removes the barriers to random testing associated with urine. For example, urine drug testing presents gender issues, problems with sample substitution or adulteration (beating the test), and a general lack of social acceptance and convenience. Observed, on-site, oral fluid collection also eliminates the costly employee downtime associated with specialized urine collection facilities. With the addition of ORALscreenLAB to our comprehensive group of drug tests and consulting services, Avitar is becoming a single source company for oral fluid-based drug free workplace solutions."

In practice, oral fluid-based testing for drugs-of-abuse has proven to be most efficient for organizations looking to reduce workplace drug use. Research shows that oral fluid testing yields results that are comparable in accuracy to urine tests, and can detect the presence of virtually all drugs within minutes of consumption. Avitar will continue to focus its marketing and sales efforts on its on-site ORALscreen(R) DRUGOMETER(TM). ORALscreenLAB, however, presents a viable option to corporations wishing to step away from urine testing, but are not yet ready to implement on-site testing technology.

About Avitar

Avitar, Inc. develops, manufactures and markets innovative and proprietary products. Their field includes the oral fluid diagnostic market, the disease and clinical testing market, and customized polyurethane applications used in the wound dressing industry. Avitar manufactures ORALscreen(R), the world's first non-invasive, rapid, onsite oral fluid test for drugs-of-abuse, as well as HYDRASORB(R), an absorbent topical dressing for moderate to heavy exudating wounds. Avitar is also developing diagnostic strategies for disease and clinical testing in the estimated $25 billion in-vitro diagnostics market. Conditions targeted include influenza, diabetes, and pregnancy. For more information, see Avitar's website at http://www.avitarinc.com/.

Safe Harbor Statement. This release contains forward looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties including the development and marketing of new applications and other risks that are detailed from time to time in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. In view of such risks and uncertainties, the Company's actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in such forward looking statements.

Product Information: ORALscreenLAB

Based upon the most recent statistics published by Quest Diagnostics, Inc., one of the nations leading test laboratories, ORALscreenLAB tests for 99% of drugs typically found in the private U.S. workplace sector. ORALscreenLab is an inclusive laboratory-based screen and GS/MS confirmation test. The solution is available in the three versions shown below.

CONTACT: Peter Cholakis of Avitar Inc., +1-781-821-2440 ext. 117, pcholakis@avitarinc.com; or Maura Landry of SHIFT Communications, +1-617-681-1229, mlandry@shiftcomm.com

Web site: http://www.avitarinc.com/

COPYRIGHT 2005 PR Newswire Association LLC
COPYRIGHT 2005 Gale Group

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