Synergistic Medications - Understanding Combination Therapy

Synergistic medications are drug combinations that produce a greater therapeutic effect when used together compared to when each drug is administered separately.
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Prepared by Shruti Sahoo, reviewed by Dr. Eugene Smith

Synergistic Medications FAQ


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Are drugs synergistic?

Specifically, if when combined, drugs interact in some way that causes the total effect to be greater than that predicted by their individual potencies, then drugs are considered synergistic.

What are synergistic drug combinations?

Synergistic drug combinations are the basis for many multimodal drug combinations but must be administered carefully because unwanted and potentially toxic effects may also be potentiated (e.g., respiratory depression and bradyarrhythmias). Phillip Lerche, William W. MuirIII, in Handbook of Veterinary Pain Management (Second Edition), 2009

What is drug synergism & supraadditivity?

Synergism or supraadditivity implies that the combination of two or more products produces more than additive effects. In more qualitative terms, the combination of two drugs produces a better effect (analgesia) than expected. Drug synergism usually allows the dose of most drugs to be reduced, thereby reducing the potential for side effects.

How to analyse synergism in a drug combination?

Therefore, in order to analyse synergism in a drug combination, a full and accurate description of the dose-effect relationship of each drug separately, as well as of their combination at a fixed drug ratio, is needed 16.

How do we identify synergistic drug combinations?

Traditionally, researchers have utilized high-throughput screening methodologies to examine potential synergistic drug combinations, involving the experimental determination of dose–response curves. These curves are then compared with mathematical models to ascertain drug synergism.

What is a synergistic effect?

When a combination of drugs has a synergistic effect, the same therapeutic effect can be achieved with a smaller dose than with a single drug. Therefore, the synergism is defined as:

Synergistic Medications References

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