Christa Pike survived two doses of pentobarbital, the drug most commonly used in lethal injections in the U.S. Here's what to know about it.

Pentobarbital was the drug used in Christa Pike's failed execution attempt. It's typically used for seizures, insomnia and as a pre-anesthetic.

When it comes to executing death row inmates, pentobarbital is the drug of choice for more than a dozen states and the federal government. It has been used to kill more than 100 murderers in the U.S.

OVERLAND PARK, Kan., March 03, 2026--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Parnell today announced the launch of Pentobarbital Sodium and Phenytoin Sodium Euthanasia Solution, a Class III controlled veterinary product ...

Pentobarbital belongs to a group of medicines called barbiturates. These drugs depress activity in the central nervous system. Pentobarbital acts primarily on GABA-A receptors in the brain. GABA is an ...

For years, doctors, legal scholars, and bioethicists have debated whether lethal injection can ever be a truly reliable or humane method of execution.