Azumolene is a direct-acting, skeletal muscle relaxant with structural similarities to dantrolene. It is a muscle relaxant that inhibits the release of calcium from skeletal muscle sarcoplasmic reticulum. Azumolene inhibits a component of store-operated calcium entry (SOCE) coupled to activation of type 1 ryanodine receptor (RyR1) by caffeine and ryanodine, whereas the SOCE component induced by thapsigargin is not affected. Azumolene distinguishes between two mechanisms of cellular signaling to SOCE in skeletal muscle, one that is coupled to and one independent from RyR1. Azumolene is equipotent to dantrolene sodium in blocking pharmacologic-induced muscle contractures and that azumolene is efficacious for treatment/prevention of malignant hyperthermia.