Have you ever noticed there is sometimes a learning curve associated with the pronunciation of new generic drug names? Fortunately there are references which provide useful feedback about name stems (word blocks used in the construction of the generic name such as prefixes and suffixes). One such reference is the NLM Drug Information Portal which provides a comprehensive list of most official generic names such as those labelled as USAN (United States Adopted Name).
The table below is a much abbreviated excerpt from this list which reveals useful insights by breaking these often confusing names into their components parts. The table has columns for the Generic Name Stem, a Stem Definition, and an Example. Each stem has hyphens at one or both ends of its text to show that it is found at the beginning, end, or in the middle of a generic name.
| Stem | Definition | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| -abine | (see -arabine, -citabine) | decitabine |
| -ac | Anti-inflammatory agents (acetic acid derivatives) | bromfenac; dexpemedolac |
| -actide | Synthetic corticotropins | seractide |
| -afenone | Antiarrhythmics (propafenone derivatives) | alprafenone; diprafenone |
| -afil | PDE5 inhibitors | tadalafil |
| -denoson | Adenosine A receptor agonists | tecadenoson; binodenoson |
| -ditan | Antimigraine (5-HT1 receptor agonists) | alniditan |
| -dopa | Dopamine receptor agonists | levodopa |
| -ectedin | Ecteinascodin derivatives | monectedin |
| -ectin | Antiparasitics (ivermectin type) | doramectin; moxidectin |
| -emcinal | Erythromycin derivatives lacking antibiotic activity | mitemcinal |
| -entan | Endothelin receptor antagonists | bosentan |
| -erg- | Ergot alkaloid derivatives | pergolide |
| -eridine | Analgesics (meperidine type) | anileridine |
| estr-, -estr- | Estrogens | estrone; fenestrel |
| -mab | Monoclonal antibodies | imciromab; abciximab; capromab; dacliximab; dacizumab; enlimomab |
| -mantadine, -mantine | Antivirals/antiparkinsonians (adamantane derivatives) | rimantadine; dopamantine |
| -meline | Cholinergic agonists (arecoline derivatives used in treatment of Alzheimer's disease) | xanomeline |
| -melteon | Selective melatonin receptor agonist | ramelteon |
| -mer | Polymers | cadexomer; carbetimer |
| -mesine | Sigma receptor ligands | igmesine; panamesine |
| -mestane | Antineoplastics (aromatase inhibitors) | plomestane |
| -moxin | Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (hydrazine derivatives) | benmoxin; domoxin |
| -mulin | Antibacterials, pleuromulin derivatives | retapamulin |
| -multin | Mucosal tolerance inductors | ismomultin |
| -mustine | Antineoplastics (chloroethylamine derivatives) | carmustine |
| -mycin | Antibiotics (Streptomyces strains) | lincomycin |
| nab-, -nab- | Cannabinol derivatives | nabazenil; dronabinol |
| -nakalant | Mixed sodium/potassium channel blockers | vernakalant |
| nal- | Narcotic agonists/antagonists (normorphine type) | nalmefene |
| -nertant | Neurotensin receptor antagonists | reminertant |
| -nesib | Kinesin inhibitors | ispinesib |
| -neurin | Neurotensin receptor antagonists; neurotropins | abrineurin |
| -nidap | Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents (tenidap type) | ilonidap; tenidap |
| -nidazole | Antiprotozoal substances (metronidazole type) | tinidazole |
| nifur- | 5-nitrofuran derivatives | nifuratel; nifuratrone |
Information in this table has been adapted from the U. S. National Library of Medicine with information which was updated in June of 2018.
