What does clofibrate mean?
Clofibrate is a synthetic pharmaceutical compound belonging to the fibrate class of lipid-lowering agents. Introduced in the mid-twentieth century, it was widely prescribed to reduce elevated levels of cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood, thereby aiming to lower the risk of cardiovascular disease. Chemically, it is an ethyl ester of a phenoxyisobutyric acid derivative. Its reputation changed dramatically following the World Health Organization's large-scale clinical trial in the 1970s, which found that although clofibrate effectively lowered blood lipids, patients taking it showed no overall reduction in mortality — and in fact had higher death rates than controls. This finding made clofibrate a landmark example in discussions of drug safety and trial design, and the drug was largely abandoned in favour of newer fibrates such as gemfibrozil and fenofibrate. Today the word appears chiefly in medical history, pharmacology texts, and clinical literature rather than everyday conversation.
nounA synthetic lipid-lowering drug of the fibrate class, formerly widely prescribed to reduce high levels of cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood.
- A synthetic fibrate drug used to lower blood levels of cholesterol and triglycerides.
"Clofibrate was once a mainstay of treatment for patients with dangerously elevated cholesterol levels."
"The physician prescribed clofibrate to help bring down the patient's triglyceride levels."
"Results from the large clofibrate trial in the 1970s prompted a re-evaluation of lipid-lowering therapy."
Rarely pluralized; the word normally appears as an uncountable mass noun referring to the drug substance.
"Early fibrates such as clofibrates were tested extensively before their risks became clear."
One of medicine's most famous cautionary tales: the WHO's massive clofibrate trial found the drug lowered cholesterol — yet treated patients died at a higher rate, reshaping how we test drugs today.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of clofibrate
Clofibrate derives its name from its chemical structure: the 'clo-' element reflects the chlorinated phenoxy group in the molecule, combined with '-fibrate', the class suffix shared with other drugs derived from fibric acid. The name follows standard pharmaceutical nomenclature conventions established in the twentieth century. It is related etymologically to other fibrates such as fenofibrate and gemfibrozil through the shared '-fibrate' suffix denoting this chemical family.
How clofibrate is actually used
Clofibrate is a technical medical term encountered mainly in pharmacology and clinical literature. It has largely been withdrawn or superseded by safer fibrates such as gemfibrozil and fenofibrate, so modern usage is mostly historical.
Easily confused with clofibrate
Clotrimazole is an antifungal medication, whereas clofibrate is a cholesterol-lowering drug.
Gemfibrozil is a different (though related) fibrate drug still in common use, while clofibrate is largely obsolete.