prodrug

noun

pro·​drug ˈprō-ˌdrəg How to pronounce prodrug (audio)
plural prodrugs
: a pharmacologically inactive substance that is converted in the body (as by enzymatic action) into a pharmacologically active drug
… an enzyme that transforms an inactive drug molecule, or prodrug, into an active anticancer agent.Scientific American Cancer Smart
One source of the variability is the metabolism of clopidogrel, which is a prodrug requiring biotransformation to generate its active metabolite.Jessica L. Mega
… an orally administered prodrug of ganciclovir that provides improved bioavailability.Bernard A. Schwetz

Examples of prodrug in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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The filing also highlights the company's intellectual property strategy, which includes seeking composition-of-matter patents for its prodrugs and product candidates and protecting its proprietary LAT platform technology as trade secrets. Quartz Intelligence Newsroom, Quartz, 12 Mar. 2025 Adrafinil | Review of Uses, Dosage, and Side Effects Adrafinil is a prodrug of modafinil with a similar chemical structure. The Salt Lake Tribune, 1 Aug. 2023 Sadly for Heil, the prodrug-converting stem cells weren’t enough. Elie Dolgin, Discover Magazine, 22 July 2015

Word History

First Known Use

1968, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of prodrug was in 1968

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Cite this Entry

“Prodrug.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prodrug. Accessed 4 Sep. 2025.

Medical Definition

prodrug

noun
pro·​drug ˈprō-ˌdrəg How to pronounce prodrug (audio)
: a pharmacologically inactive substance that is the modified form of a pharmacologically active drug to which it is converted (as by enzymatic action) in the body
One source of the variability is the metabolism of clopidogrel, which is a prodrug requiring biotransformation to generate its active metabolite.Jessica L. Mega et al., The Journal of the American Medical Association
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