Drug suffix

Suffix Class Clinical Use Example
-afil Phosphodiesterase inhibitors Erectile dysfunction, pulmonary HTN Sildenafil
-ane Inhaled anesthetics Anesthesia Halothane
-artan Angiotensin receptor blockers Hypertension Losartan
-azepam, -zolam Benzodiazepinea Anxiety Lorazepam, midazolam
-azine Phenothiazines Antipsychotic Chlorpromazine
-azole Azole antifungals Antifungal Ketoconazole
-barbital Barbituates Anxiety Phenobarbital
-caine Local anesthetics Anesthesia Lidocaine
-cillin Penicillin antibiotics Antibiotic Ticarcillin
-cycline Tetracyclines Antibiotic Doxycycline
-etine Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors Depression Fluoxetine
-feb, -fene Selective estrogen response modifiers Osteoporosis, breast cancer Tamoxifen, clomifene
-floxacin Fluoroquinolones Antibiotics Levofloxacin
-fungin Echinocandins Antifungal Caspofungin
-grastim, gramostim Granulocyte colony stimulating factors Blood dyscrasias Filgrastim, sargramostim
-ide Loop diuretics Hypertension Furosemide
-ipine Dihydropyridine calcium channel blockers Hypertension Nifedipine
-ipramine Tricyclic antidepressants Depression Desipramine
-ium, -uronium Nondepolarizing paralytics Anesthesia Vercuronium, atracurium
-lukast LTD4 receptor antagonist Asthma Montelukast
-navir Protease inhibitor Antiviral Saquinavir
-olol Beta blocker Hypertension Propranolol
-oxin Cardiac glycoside Arrhythmias Digoxin
-phylline Methylxanthine Bronchodilator Theophylline
-pril ACE inhibitor Hypertension Lisinopril
-quine Quinolone derivatives Antimalarial Chloroquine
-statin HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors Hyperlipidemia Simvastatin
-tecan Topoisomerase I inhibitor Chemotherapy Topotecan
-terol β2 agonist Bronchodilator Albuterol
-tidine Second generation antihistamine Allergies Cimetidine
-tine Allylamine antifungals Antifungal Terbinafine
-toposide Topoisomerase II inhibitor Chemotherapy Etoposide
-triptan 5-HT1B/1D agonist Migraines Imi
-tropin Pituitary hormone Hormone deficiency Somatotropin
-vaptan Vasopressin receptor antagonist Hypertension Tolvaptan
-zosin α1 antagonist Hypertension, BPH Terazosin
prefix, root, suffix examples (generic names) drug class or drug category
-asone betamethasone; dexamethasone; diflorasone; fluticasone; mometasone corticosteroid
-afil avanafil; sildenafil; tadalafil; vardenafil phosphodiesterase (PDE) inhibitor
-asone betamethasone; dexamethasone; diflorasone; fluticasone; mometasone corticosteroid
-bicin doxorubicin; epirubicin; idarubicin; valrubicin antineoplastic; cytotoxic agent
-bital butabarbital; butalbital; phenobarbital; secobarbital barbiturate (sedative)
-caine bupivacaine; lidocaine; mepivacaine; prilocaine; proparacaine local anesthetic
cef-, ceph- cefaclor; cefdinir; cefixime; cefprozil; cephalexin cephalosporin antibiotic
-cillin amoxicillin; ampicillin; dicloxacillin; nafcillin; oxacillin penicillin antibiotic
cort clocortolone; fludrocortisone; hydrocortisone corticosteroid
-cycline demeclocycline; doxycycline; minocycline; tetracycline tetracycline antibiotic
-dazole albendazole; mebendazole; metronidazole; tinidazole anthelmintic; antibiotic; antibacterial
-dipine amlodipine; felodipine; nifedipine; nimodipine; nisoldipine calcium channel blocker
-dronate alendronate; etidronate; ibandronate; risedronate bisphosphonate; bone resorption inhibitor
prefix, root, suffix examples (generic names) drug class or drug category
-afil avanafil; sildenafil; tadalafil; vardenafil phosphodiesterase (PDE) inhibitor
-asone betamethasone; dexamethasone; diflorasone; fluticasone; mometasone corticosteroid
-bicin doxorubicin; epirubicin; idarubicin; valrubicin antineoplastic; cytotoxic agent
-bital butabarbital; butalbital; phenobarbital; secobarbital barbiturate (sedative)
-caine bupivacaine; lidocaine; mepivacaine; prilocaine; proparacaine local anesthetic
cef-, ceph- cefaclor; cefdinir; cefixime; cefprozil; cephalexin cephalosporin antibiotic
-cillin amoxicillin; ampicillin; dicloxacillin; nafcillin; oxacillin penicillin antibiotic
cort clocortolone; fludrocortisone; hydrocortisone corticosteroid
-cycline demeclocycline; doxycycline; minocycline; tetracycline tetracycline antibiotic
-dazole albendazole; mebendazole; metronidazole; tinidazole anthelmintic; antibiotic; antibacterial
-dipine amlodipine; felodipine; nifedipine; nimodipine; nisoldipine calcium channel blocker
-dronate alendronate; etidronate; ibandronate; risedronate bisphosphonate; bone resorption inhibitor
-eprazole esomeprazole; omeprazole; rabeprazole proton pump inhibitor (PPI)
-fenac bromfenac; diclofenac; nepafenac NSAID
-floxacin besifloxacin; ciprofloxacin; levofloxacin; moxifloxacin; ofloxacin quinolone antibiotic
-gliptin saxagliptin; sitagliptin; linagliptin antidiabetic; inhibitor of the DPP-4 enzyme
-glitazone pioglitazone; rosiglitazone; troglitazone antidiabetic; thiazolidinedione
-iramine brompheniramine; chlorpheniramine; pheniramine antihistamine
-lamide acetazolamide; brinzolamide; dorzolamide; methazolamide carbonic anhydrase inhibitor
-mab adalimumab; daclizumab; infliximab; omalizumab; trastuzumab monoclonal antibody
-mustine carmustine; estramustine; lomustine; bendamustine alkylating agent (antineoplastic)
-mycin azithromycin; clarithromycin; clindamycin; erythromycin antibiotic; antibacterial
-nacin darifenacin; solifenacin muscarinic antagonist (anticholinergic)
antifungal -nazole fluconazole; ketoconazole; miconazole; terconazole; tioconazole
-olol atenolol; metoprolol; nadolol; pindolol; propranolol; timolol beta blocker
-olone fluocinolone; fluorometholone; prednisolone; triamcinolone corticosteroid
-olone nandrolone; oxandrolone; oxymetholone anabolic steroid
-onide budesonide; ciclesonide; desonide; fluocinonide; halcinonide corticosteroid
-oprazole dexlansoprazole; lansoprazole; pantoprazole proton pump inhibitor (PPI)
parin; -parin dalteparin; enoxaparin; fondaparinux; heparin; tinzaparin antithrombotic; anticoagulant (blood thinner)
-phylline aminophylline; dyphylline; oxtriphylline; theophylline xanthine derivative (bronchodilator)
-pramine clomipramine; desipramine; imipramine; trimipramine tricyclic antidepressant (TCA)
pred; pred- loteprednol; prednicarbate; prednisolone; prednisone corticosteroid
-pril benazepril; captopril; enalapril; lisinopril; moexipril; ramipril ACE inhibitor
-profen fenoprofen; flurbiprofen; ibuprofen; ketoprofen NSAID
-ridone iloperidone; paliperidone; risperidone atypical antipsychotic
-sartan candesartan; irbesartan; losartan; olmesartan; valsartan angiotensin II receptor antagonist; ARB
-semide furosemide; torsemide loop diuretic (water pill)
-setron alosetron; dolasetron; granisetron; ondansetron; palonosetron serotonin 5-HT3 receptor antagonist
-setron dolasetron; granisetron; ondansetron; palonosetron antiemetic and antinauseant
-statin atorvastatin; lovastatin; pitavastatin; pravastatin; rosuvastatin; simvastatin HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor; statins
sulfa- sulfacetamide; sulfadiazine; sulfamethoxazole; sulfasalazine antibiotic; anti- infective; anti- inflammatory
-tadine alcaftadine; cyproheptadine; desloratadine; loratadine; olopatadine antihistamine
-tadine amantadine; rimantadine antiviral; anti- influenza-A
-terol albuterol; arformoterol; formoterol; levalbuterol; salmeterol beta agonist; bronchodilator
-thiazide chlorothiazide; hydrochlorothiazide; methyclothiazide thiazide diuretic (water pill)
-tinib crizotinib; dasatinib; erlotinib; gefitinib; imatinib antineoplastic (kinase inhibitor)
-trel desogestrel; etonogestrel; levonorgestrel; norgestrel female hormone (progestin)
tretin-; tretin; - tretin acitretin; alitretinoin; isotretinoin; tretinoin retinoid; dermatologic agent; form of vitamin A
-triptan almotriptan; eletriptan; rizatriptan; sumatriptan; zolmitriptan antimigraine; selective 5-HT receptor agonist
-tyline amitriptyline; nortriptyline; protriptyline tricyclic antidepressant (TCA)
vir; -vir abacavir; efavirenz; enfuvirtide; nevirapine; ritonavir; tenofovir antiviral; anti-HIV
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
-zepam clonazepam; diazepam; flurazepam; lorazepam; temazepam benzodiazepine
-zodone nefazodone, trazodone, vilazodone antidepressant
-zolam alprazolam; estazolam; midazolam; triazolam benzodiazepine
-zosin alfuzosin; doxazosin; prazosin; terazosin alpha blocker