Difference Between Fenofibrate and Fenofibric Acid

The key difference between fenofibrate and fenofibric acid is that the fenofibrate is an important drug that we use to reduce cholesterol levels whereas the fenofibric acid is the active form of fenofibrate.

The commercial name of fenofibrate is Tricor. This drug is very useful in reducing the cholesterol levels in people who are under risk of suffering from cardiovascular diseases. Fenofibric acid is the active form of this drug, and it is a synthetic drug.

CONTENTS

1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Fenofibrate
3. What is Fenofibric Acid
4. Side by Side Comparison – Fenofibrate vs Fenofibric Acid in Tabular Form
5. Summary

What is Fenofibrate?

Fenofibrate is a drug of the fibrate class that we use to reduce the cholesterol levels of people who are under the risk of cardiovascular diseases. It can reduce the LDL (low density lipoprotein) and VLDL (very low density lipoprotein). It also reduces the triglyceride levels (fatty acids) of our blood and increases the HDL (high density lipoprotein) levels. The main route of administration is by mouth. Around  60% of this drug eliminates through urine.

The chemical formula is C₂₀H₂₁ClO_4, and the molar mass is 360.83 g/mol. This compound melts at 81 °C. The two major diseases that we use this drug to treat are hypercholesterolemia or mixed dyslipidemia. In addition, we can use it to treat adults with severe hypertriglyceridemia. However, there are some side effects of this drug as well. For example, headache, back pain, nausea, myalgia, diarrhea, etc.

What is Fenofibric Acid?

Fenofibric acid is a Peroxisome Proliferator Receptor alpha Agonist. It is the active form of fenofibrate. We use this drug to reduce cholesterol and triglycerides. Sometimes people use it along with other cholesterol-lowering medication. The chemical formula is C₁₇H₁₅ClO₄ and the molar mass is 318.75 g/mol.

More importantly, we should not take this drug if we have liver diseases, gallbladder diseases, kidney diseases, etc. Moreover, this drug may cause a condition that results in the breakdown of skeletal muscle tissue, leading to kidney failure.

What is the Difference Between Fenofibrate and Fenofibric Acid?

Fenofibrate is a drug of the fibrate class which we use to reduce the cholesterol levels of people who are under the risk of cardiovascular diseases. The chemical formula of this drug is C₂₀H₂₁ClO₄ and the molar mass is 360.83 g/mol. Moreover, side effects of fenofibrate are headache, back pain, nausea, myalgia, diarrhea, etc. Fenofibric acid is a Peroxisome Proliferator Receptor alpha Agonist. The chemical formula of this drug is C₁₇H₁₅ClO_4, and the molar mass is 318.75 g/mol. In addition, this drug may cause a condition that results in the breakdown of skeletal muscle tissue, leading to kidney failure.

Summary – Fenofibrate vs Fenofibric Acid

Fenofibrate and fenofibric acid are two drugs that belong to the fibrate class of drugs. The difference between fenofibrate and fenofibric acid is that the fenofibrate is an important drug that we use to reduce cholesterol levels whereas the fenofibric acid is the active form of this drug.

Reference:

1. “Fenofibrate.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 19 June 2018. Available here  
2. “Fenofibric Acid.” National Center for Biotechnology Information. PubChem Compound Database, U.S. National Library of Medicine.  Available here  

Image Courtesy:

1.’Fenofibrate structure’By User:Mysid – Own work (Public Domain) via Commons Wikimedia