Noun. /PROE-druhg/
by Sarah Angle
What does it mean?
A prodrug is a compound that is inactive upon administration and is activated by a metabolic, enzymatic, or chemical transformation inside the body.
How do I use it in a sentence?
Aspirin is a prodrug because your body has to convert it into salicylic acid before you feel the full pain-relieving effect.
A schematic of prodrug activation: the inactive compound is delivered in the pill and is then metabolized by the body to become the active drug. Aspirin uses this exact activation mechanism. The image was created by the author via BioRender.com.
Etymology
The term is derived from pro (Greek meaning before) and drogue (Old French meaning drug). Together, this means “before the drug.”
Fields of study in which this word is commonly used
Chemistry, pharmacology, chemical biology.
