phenformin
/fɛnˈfɔːmɪn/Pharmacology
noun
A drug used in the oral treatment of diabetes mellitus (now largely withdrawn from use because of the side effect of lactic acidosis).
- Chemical name: 1-phenethylbiguanide, C10H15N5..
Origin
1950s; earliest use found in Canadian Medical Association Journal. From phen- + form- + -in, components of the molecular structure of the drug.