During World War II, demand for 'energy pills' skyrocketed and the pharmaceutical company Smith, Kline, and French, which owned the patents for amphetamines, profited tremendously. In an attempt to capture a piece of the market for stimulants, Ciba Company began producing ________________ as a nonamphetamine alternative. d. methylphenidate e. ephedra c. cathinone b. methamphetamine a. cocaine