analogue

SYN: analog.

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an·a·logue or an·a·log 'an-əl-.ȯg, -.äg n

1) something that is analogous or similar to something else

2) an organ similar in function to an organ of another animal or plant but different in structure and origin

3) usu analog a chemical compound that is structurally similar to another but differs slightly in composition (as in the replacement of one atom by an atom of a different element or in the presence of a particular functional group)

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n.

a drug that differs in minor ways in molecular structure from its parent compound. Examples are calcipotriol (an analogue of vitamin D), betahistine (an analogue of histamine), and the LHRH analogue. Useful analogues of existing drugs are either more potent or cause fewer side-effects. carboplatin, for example, is a less toxic analogue of cisplatin.

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ana·logue (anґə-log) 1. a part or organ having the same function as another, but of a different evolutionary origin; cf. homologue (def. 1). 2. a chemical compound with a structure similar to that of another but differing from it in respect to a certain component; it may have a similar or opposite action metabolically. Cf. homologue (def. 2).