Three fibric acid derivatives, clofibric acid (CFB), bezafibrate (BFB), and gemfibrozil (GFB), mainly used in the treatment of hypertriglyceridaemic or mixed hyperlipidaemic states, have been tested for their ability to modify fatty acid chain elongation and desaturation in vitro. Both endogenous and exogenous (saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated) fatty acid elongations were inhibited by fibrates at concentrations well within the physiological range (IC50 values for GFB were between 0.1 and 0.3 mM). The potency order was GFB > BFB > CFB. Inhibition was not due to an impairment of the activation step from free fatty acids to acyl-CoAs, as palmitoyl-CoA synthetase was only slightly inhibited (IC50 value for GFB = 2.8 mM). Fibrates (GFB) appeared to behave as mixed non-competitive inhibitors with respect to malonyl-CoA when the rate limiting step of elongation, the condensing enzyme, is assayed. Further, delta 6 and delta 5 desaturates were inhibited by the three drugs (GFB > BFB > CFB), although not to the same extent as the elongation system. In contrast, delta 9 desaturase activity was not affected by fibrates.