palliative; alleviating agent; demulcent
Pharmacological term for a substance that relieves symptoms without curing the underlying condition. Covers a range of agents including palliatives, lenitives, and demulcents.
This palliative relieves pain but does not cure the disease itself.
The doctor prescribed a demulcent to suppress the cough.
治療薬 is a therapeutic drug aimed at curing a disease, whereas 緩和剤 focuses on alleviating symptoms without necessarily curing.
Compound of 緩和 (kanwa, 'relief, alleviation') and 剤 (zai, 'agent, medicine'). The term is a modern pharmacological coinage.