noun
- Inactive pharmaceutical compounds that are converted into active drugs within the body through metabolic processes.
Usage: technical; pharmaceutical/medical context; plural form of prodrug
Examples
- Many prodrugs are designed to improve drug absorption and reduce side effects.
- The liver metabolizes prodrugs into their active therapeutic forms.
- Researchers develop prodrugs to enhance the bioavailability of certain medications.
- Some prodrugs are activated by enzymes present in specific tissues.
- The use of prodrugs can help minimize systemic toxicity by targeting drug activation to particular organs.