Letter P

Prodrug

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A precursor (forerunner) of a drug.

A prodrug must undergo chemical conversion by metabolic processes before becoming an active pharmacological agent.

For example, sulfasalazine is a prodrug.

It is not active in its ingested form.

It has to be broken down by bacteria in the colon into two products -- 5-aminosalicylic acid (5ASA) and sulfapyridine -- before becoming active as a drug

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