new drug

noun

: a drug that has not been declared safe and effective by qualified experts under the conditions prescribed, recommended, or suggested in the label and that may be a new chemical formula or an established drug prescribed for use in a new way

Examples of new drug in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
In biology, these models are already helping scientists⁠ identify which new drugs are most likely to succeed in human trials. — John Werner, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026 Understand the facts In some trials, some participants are given a new drug or therapy that’s being investigated while others receive a placebo with no physical effect. — Michelle Andrews, USA Today, 15 Aug. 2026 There's also even a new drug, called Xocova, that people can take right after they've been exposed to the virus to cut their chances of actually getting sick from COVID. — Rob Stein, NPR, 14 Aug. 2026 In Dylan Meyer’s stoner comedy The Wrong Girls, Kristen Stewart and Alia Shawkat play co-dependent pals made telepathic by an experimental new drug. — Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 13 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for new drug

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1951, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of new drug was circa 1951

Rhymes for new drug

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Browse Nearby Words

New Delhi
new drug
new duck disease
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Cite this Entry

“New drug.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/new%20drug. Accessed 24 Aug. 2026.

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Medical Definition

new drug

noun
: a drug that has not been declared safe and effective by qualified experts under the conditions prescribed, recommended, or suggested in the label and that may be a new chemical formula or an established drug prescribed for use in a new way
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