How do drugs get their names?

Have you ever stumbled when pronouncing the name of a medication? Or saw a pharmaceutical commercial on TV and asked yourself, “Who came up with these names?”

They are often a mouthful and can seem completely random. You might be surprised to learn that there is as much science and process to developing drugs as there is to naming them.

“The name of a drug plays a key role in patient safety,” says Dr. Neha Vyas, family medicine specialist. “Drug names that are too similar can result in a patient receiving the wrong medication.” Such a medication error can be life-threatening.”

Dr. Vyas takes us through the science behind drug names.

What’s in a drug name?

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved 55 new drugs in 2023. But before they came to market, pharmaceutical companies had to take several steps to find a name for each of these drugs that met strict U.S. and international requirements.

It is a selection process that sometimes takes up to four years – and costs a lot of money. It is estimated that pharmaceutical companies can pay outside consulting firms up to half a million dollars to help them name new drugs.

And there’s something else you probably didn’t know: When a brand-name drug comes to market, it’s actually on the market third Name. This is because each drug name goes through a unique review process that includes:

1. Name of a chemical drug
2. Generic drug name
3. Brand name of a drug

The birth and naming of a new drug

During the initial laboratory development phase, a drug’s name reflects its chemical composition. For example, N-(4-Hydroxyphenyl)acetamide is the chemical name for:

• Acetaminophen (generic drug name)
• Tylenol® (brand name)

Unless you work in drug development or medicine, you’ll probably never hear the scientific name. Still, when creating a chemical drug name, companies must follow the rules set by the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry.

The science behind generic drug names

Drugs are given their generic names when they are ready to be tested in a clinical trial. The process of naming generic medications has been around since the early 1960s.

Pharmaceutical companies submit three to six generic name proposals to the United States Adopted Name (USAN) Council. This council consists of members of the American Medical Association, the American Pharmacists Association and the US Pharmacopeia.

A generic drug always has the same name worldwide. That is why the International Nonproprietary Names (INN) expert group of the World Health Organization also has a say.

“A universal generic name ensures that healthcare providers around the world know the drug, even if the brand name is different,” explains Dr. Vyas. “It reduces the risk of a patient receiving the wrong medication if they are in another country.”

Selecting the suffix of a generic

It’s a little easier to come up with a name for a generic drug than for a brand name drug.

“Generic drug names follow a formula,” shares Dr. Vyas with. “The suffix or stem of the drug name must reflect how the drug works on the body.”

For example, generics ending in:

Selecting the prefix of a generic

Companies can be more creative with the one to two syllable prefix. But there are some things that have the prefix tilt do like:

• Use the letters H, J, K, W or Y as some world languages ​​do not use these letters
• Look or sound similar to other generics with the same suffix
• Reflect or promote the name of the pharmaceutical company
• Use medical terms such as “Onco” for a cancer drug (oncology).

Approval of a generic drug name

Before granting approval, USAN and INN check whether a generic drug name:

• Is easy to say and remember
• Has a suffix that accurately reflects what the drug does
• Translates well into non-English languages

How brand-name medications get their names

Pharmaceutical companies invest a lot of resources in developing a new drug. They’re like the babies of the company – and just like parents-to-be, they cross out hundreds of potential names and weed out the ones that aren’t quite right.

Why? Because the brand name counts. Healthcare providers and patients will associate the name with this trademarked drug for life.

“Some drug names such as Prozac® and Viagra® have become so commonplace that they now appear in dictionaries,” notes Dr. Vyas. “Today they are considered synonymous with a particular health condition.”

Focus groups and other research methods help companies make the best choice from up to 200 drug names to consider. It may not always seem like it, but companies try to choose names that are easy to pronounce in different languages. They also ensure that a translated name does not mean anything offensive.

Often companies try to develop a brand name that somehow reflects what the drug does. For example:

• Viagra, which treats erectile dysfunction, is a combination of “vigor” (a word that reflects potency and stamina) plus Niagara (a reference to a steady stream or Niagara Falls).
• Lyrica®, which treats nerve pain, evokes soothing musical lyrics (like calming nerves).

Brand drug name approval

Pharmaceutical companies can only submit one brand name to the FDA for approval; they can submit two names to the European Medicines Agency (EMA). While the pharmaceutical companies hope that the two organizations will agree on the same name, that is not necessary. In India, for example, the statin drug Lipitor® is called Atocor™.

The FDA and EMA require that a brand name of a drug not:

• Look or sound similar to other brands of medications
• Make medical claims, such as using the word “fast” to imply that the drug works faster than others
• Use a generic suffix or be too similar to the generic drug name
• Promote the drug manufacturer

When the FDA or EMA rejects a drug name, pharmaceutical companies have to go back to the drawing board. Choosing a different name means more time and money, delaying the drug’s launch.

A drug by any other name

It may seem like pharmaceutical companies are trying to create tongue twisters, but in fact the opposite is true.

“Companies want a drug name that is easy to pronounce and remember,” reiterates Dr. Vyas. “You hope that after seeing an ad you’ll ask your doctor about it, or that you’ll tell your friends about the new drug that worked for you.”