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drug prefixes, roots, and suffixes

Source: U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

These prefixes, roots, and suffixes apply only to generic names.

prefix, root,
examples (generic names) drug class or drug category
suffix
-afil avanafil; sildenafil; tadalafil; vardenafil phosphodiesterase (PDE) inhibitor
betamethasone; dexamethasone; diflorasone;
-asone corticosteroid
fluticasone; mometasone
-bicin doxorubicin; epirubicin; idarubicin; valrubicin antineoplastic; cytotoxic agent
-bital butabarbital; butalbital; phenobarbital; secobarbital barbiturate (sedative)
bupivacaine; lidocaine; mepivacaine; prilocaine;
-caine local anesthetic
proparacaine
cef-, ceph- cefaclor; cefdinir; cefixime; cefprozil; cephalexin cephalosporin antibiotic
 amoxicillin; ampicillin; dicloxacillin; nafcillin;
-cillin penicillin antibiotic
oxacillin
cort clocortolone; fludrocortisone; hydrocortisone corticosteroid
demeclocycline; doxycycline; minocycline;
-cycline tetracycline antibiotic
tetracycline
anthelmintic; antibiotic;
-dazole albendazole; mebendazole; metronidazole; tinidazole
antibacterial
amlodipine; felodipine; nifedipine; nimodipine;
-dipine calcium channel blocker
nisoldipine
bisphosphonate; bone resorption
-dronate alendronate; etidronate; ibandronate; risedronate
inhibitor
-eprazole esomeprazole; omeprazole; rabeprazole proton pump inhibitor (PPI)
-fenac bromfenac; diclofenac; nepafenac NSAID
besifloxacin; ciprofloxacin; levofloxacin;
-floxacin quinolone antibiotic
moxifloxacin; ofloxacin
antidiabetic; inhibitor of the DPP-
-gliptin saxagliptin; sitagliptin; linagliptin
4 enzyme
-glitazone pioglitazone; rosiglitazone; troglitazone antidiabetic; thiazolidinedione
-iramine brompheniramine; chlorpheniramine; pheniramine antihistamine
acetazolamide; brinzolamide; dorzolamide;
-lamide carbonic anhydrase inhibitor
methazolamide
adalimumab; daclizumab; infliximab; omalizumab;
-mab monoclonal antibody
trastuzumab
-mustine carmustine; estramustine; lomustine; bendamustine alkylating agent (antineoplastic)
azithromycin; clarithromycin; clindamycin;
-mycin antibiotic; antibacterial
erythromycin
muscarinic antagonist
-nacin darifenacin; solifenacin
(anticholinergic)
fluconazole; ketoconazole; miconazole; terconazole;
-nazole antifungal
tioconazole
atenolol; metoprolol; nadolol; pindolol; propranolol;
-olol beta blocker
timolol
fluocinolone; fluorometholone; prednisolone;
-olone corticosteroid
triamcinolone
-olone nandrolone; oxandrolone; oxymetholone anabolic steroid
 -onide budesonide; ciclesonide; desonide; fluocinonide; corticosteroid
halcinonide
-oprazole dexlansoprazole; lansoprazole; pantoprazole proton pump inhibitor (PPI)
dalteparin; enoxaparin; fondaparinux; heparin; antithrombotic; anticoagulant
parin; -parin
tinzaparin (blood thinner)
aminophylline; dyphylline; oxtriphylline; xanthine derivative
-phylline
theophylline (bronchodilator)
clomipramine; desipramine; imipramine;
-pramine tricyclic antidepressant (TCA)
trimipramine
pred; pred- loteprednol; prednicarbate; prednisolone; prednisone corticosteroid
benazepril; captopril; enalapril; lisinopril; moexipril;
-pril ACE inhibitor
ramipril
-profen fenoprofen; flurbiprofen; ibuprofen; ketoprofen NSAID
-ridone iloperidone; paliperidone; risperidone atypical antipsychotic
candesartan; irbesartan; losartan; olmesartan; angiotensin II receptor antagonist;
-sartan
valsartan ARB
-semide furosemide; torsemide loop diuretic (water pill)
alosetron; dolasetron; granisetron; ondansetron; serotonin 5-HT3 receptor
-setron
palonosetron antagonist

-setron dolasetron; granisetron; ondansetron; palonosetron antiemetic and antinauseant

atorvastatin; lovastatin; pitavastatin; pravastatin; HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor;
-statin
rosuvastatin; simvastatin statins
sulfacetamide; sulfadiazine; sulfamethoxazole; antibiotic; anti-infective; anti-
sulfa-
sulfasalazine inflammatory
alcaftadine; cyproheptadine; desloratadine;
-tadine antihistamine
loratadine; olopatadine
-tadine amantadine; rimantadine antiviral; anti-influenza-A
albuterol; arformoterol; formoterol; levalbuterol;
-terol beta agonist; bronchodilator
salmeterol
chlorothiazide; hydrochlorothiazide;
-thiazide thiazide diuretic (water pill)
methyclothiazide
-tinib crizotinib; dasatinib; erlotinib; gefitinib; imatinib antineoplastic (kinase inhibitor)
-trel desogestrel; etonogestrel; levonorgestrel; norgestrel female hormone (progestin)
tretin-; tretin; retinoid; dermatologic agent; form
acitretin; alitretinoin; isotretinoin; tretinoin
-tretin of vitamin A
 almotriptan; eletriptan; rizatriptan; sumatriptan; antimigraine; selective 5-HT
-triptan
zolmitriptan receptor agonist
-tyline amitriptyline; nortriptyline; protriptyline tricyclic antidepressant (TCA)
abacavir; efavirenz; enfuvirtide; nevirapine; ritonavir;
vir; -vir antiviral; anti-HIV
tenofovir
vir; -vir adefovir; entecavir; ribavirin (along with interferon) antiviral; anti-hepatitis
-vir acyclovir; famciclovir; penciclovir; valacyclovir antiviral; anti-herpes
-vir cidofovir; ganciclovir; valganciclovir antiviral; anti-CMV
-vir oseltamivir; zanamivir antiviral; anti-flu
-vudine lamivudine; stavudine; telbivudine; zidovudine antiviral; nucleoside analogues
clonazepam; diazepam; flurazepam; lorazepam;
-zepam benzodiazepine
temazepam
-zodone nefazodone, trazodone, vilazodone antidepressant
-zolam alprazolam; estazolam; midazolam; triazolam benzodiazepine
-zosin alfuzosin; doxazosin; prazosin; terazosin alpha blocker
prefix, root,
examples (generic names) drug class or drug category
suffix

{KeyWord:FDA
Approval Lawyers}
The Health And Business
Attorneys That Help Resolve
FDA Compliance Issues
suarezgaitanlaw.com
www.takerx.com
2006