Whether it’s Aspirin®, Humira® or Eliquis® – drug names are all around us, but rarely self-explanatory. How are these names created? At the end of the day, naming follows an exciting, highly regulated and sometimes very creative process.
Every drug has at least two names. The generic name (active ingredient name) and the trade name (also known as the brand name).
Generic names: science in the service of clarity
The generic name is standardised internationally – for example, paracetamol (INN: International Nonproprietary Name) or atorvastatin. These names are assigned by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and are often based on fixed name stems that indicate pharmacological properties. For example, many beta blockers end in ‑olol (such as metoprolol), while ACE inhibitors typically end in ‑pril (e.g. lisinopril).
Trade names: From the initial idea to the brand
The trade name, on the other hand, is a creation of the pharmaceutical company – and this is where the real art between marketing and regulatory authorities comes into play. A trade name has to achieve many things at once: it should be memorable, pronounceable internationally, emotionally positive – and, above all, not misleading.
A team of market researchers, pharmacologists, lawyers and marketing experts often spend months working on possible names. This sometimes results in dozens of suggestions, which are evaluated internally, tested linguistically and checked legally. For example, the name must not be offensive in any language.
The regulatory review process
The name must also pass through two regulatory hoops: in Europe, for example, it must be approved by the EMA, and in the United States by the FDA. These agencies check whether the name is too similar to existing drugs, which could lead to confusion – a safety risk in prescribing practice.
Trends and risks in naming
Trade names are often intended to evoke certain associations. Viagra®, for example, with its ‘vig-’ prefix, conjures up thoughts of vitality, and ‘-agra’ sounds vaguely like the famous Indian building – strong, powerful, with masculine connotations.
Other names are technical neologisms based on the mechanism of action or target protein: Keytruda® (an immune checkpoint inhibitor) sounds futuristic, but is deliberately kept emotionally neutral.
By the way: The trend is towards brevity. Names such as Zyrtec® and Xarelto® are concise, usually have no meaning in the traditional sense, but are easy to remember – a clear advantage in marketing and prescribing.
The bottom line: Drug names are the result of a complex interplay between science, regulation and creativity. They must be safe, understandable and marketable – and often have to work in a global market. It’s not an easy job, but it’s an exciting one. And sometimes it goes wrong – and then the result can pose a potential risk to patient safety.
In 2005, for example, the Alzheimer’s drug Reminyl® was renamed Razadyne in the United States because of the risk of confusion with the diabetes drug Amaryl® (glimepiride). This led to medication errors that were even fatal. In Germany, Austria and Switzerland, Reminyl® is still on the market under its original name.
And sometimes names just make you shake your head, or at least they did for blogger Marty Smith: Are Drug Companies Making Up Bizarre Product Names to Screw With Us?