RT Book, Section A1 Freeman, Aaron A1 Johnson, Ken B. A2 Johnson, Ken B. SR Print(0) ID 1103963416 T1 Intravenous Sedative–Hypnotics T2 Clinical Pharmacology for Anesthesiology YR 2015 FD 2015 PB McGraw-Hill Education PP New York, NY SN 9780071736169 LK accessanesthesiology.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?aid=1103963416 RD 2024/03/28 AB Sedative–hypnotics are a relatively new class of anesthetics, beginning with the introduction of sodium thiopental in the early 1930s. Since then, several ­sedative–hypnotics have been introduced (Table 6–1), with more in the drug development pipeline, such as remimazolam, fospropofol, and isomers of etomidate. Goals of these modified drugs include fast metabolism and breakdown as well as creating “soft” drugs with safer profiles. A major goal in developing methoxycarbonyl-etomidate is the removal of adrenocortical suppression by modifying the pyrrole ring in etomidate. Fospropofol is water-soluble as opposed to propofol, which is administered as an oil–water emulsion. In 2008, fospropofol was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration, although many clinical trials are still underway for specific uses of the drug.1