Etomidate

Induction and maintenance of general anesthesia are the core links for the safe implementation of surgical procedures. As a short-acting intravenous anesthetic derived from imidazoles, etomidate acts on the γ-aminobutyric acid type A (GABAA) receptor to achieve a stable sedative and hypnotic effect in a short period of time. It has slight inhibitory effect on the circulatory system and little impact on respiration, so it is especially suitable for anesthesia induction in patients with impaired cardiovascular function, the elderly and critically ill patients. It can also be used for anesthesia maintenance in short surgeries and adjuvant sedation for ICU patients, and is one of the core basic drugs in the field of clinical anesthesia.

The current global etomidate market size is approximately USD 320 million, with a compound annual growth rate maintained at around 4.7%, while the annual growth rate of the domestic market can reach 7.2%. The market demand continues to rise steadily with the increase in surgical volume. In terms of the competitive landscape, domestic replacement has been realized in the domestic preparation market, with local enterprises occupying more than 90% of the market share. The supply of API is mainly from domestic production. After the implementation of volume-based procurement, the price of preparations has dropped significantly, and the supply stability and compliance of upstream APIs have become the core consideration factors for downstream enterprises.

The original developer of etomidate is Bausch Health (formerly Bausch & Lomb Health), and the original brand name is Amidate®. Its core compound patent expired worldwide in the 1990s. The main dosage form approved for the original product is injection, with a specification of 20ml:40mg. At present, the original preparation has been included in the FDA Reference Listed Drug Catalog, and the original product has not been imported into China for the time being. On the domestic front, more than 15 enterprises have obtained A status for their etomidate APIs through CDE registration, and the approved preparations for marketing cover multiple dosage forms such as etomidate injection and etomidate emulsion for injection, which can fully meet the domestic clinical medication demand. (Data as of June 2025, please refer to the official CDE website for the latest information)

CATO provides a full set of impurity reference standards for etomidate API. Most of the products are in stock. Orders for in-stock products placed before 16:00 will be shipped on the same day. Meanwhile, the products meet the compliance requirements of multiple regulations such as the Chinese Pharmacopoeia and FDA, and can fully support the whole process needs of API R&D, quality research and compliance declaration, providing reliable support for the product R&D and production stability of relevant enterprises.