How Do Medicines Get Their Names?

Ever stumbled when pronouncing the name of a medication? Or watched a pharmaceutical ad on TV and wondered, “Who comes up with these names?”

They’re often a mouthful and may seem totally random. So, you might be surprised to learn that just as there’s a science and process behind developing medications, there’s also a science and process behind naming them.

“A medication’s name plays a key role in patient safety,” says family medicine specialist, Neha Vyas, MD. “Drug names that are too similar can lead to a patient receiving the wrong medication. This type of medication error can be life-threatening.”

Dr. Vyas walks us through the science behind medication names.

What’s in a drug name?

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

It’s a selection process that sometimes takes up to four years — and a lot of money. According to some estimates, drug companies can pay outside consulting firms up to half a million dollars for their help naming new medications.

And here’s something else you probably didn’t know: By the time a brand-name medication becomes available, it’s actually on its third name. That’s because each medication name goes through a unique vetting process that includes a:

1. Chemical drug name
2. Generic drug name
3. Brand drug name

The birth and naming of a new medication

During the initial laboratory development stage, a drug’s name reflects its chemical makeup. For instance, N-(4-hydroxyphenyl) acetamide is the chemical name for:

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

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

The science behind generic drug names

Drugs get their generic names when they’re ready for testing in a clinical trial, and the process for naming generic drugs has been in place since the early 1960s.

Drug companies file three to six generic name suggestions with the United States Adopted Name (USAN) Council. Members of the American Medical Association, American Pharmacists Association and U.S. Pharmacopeia make up this council.

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

“A universal generic name ensures that healthcare providers anywhere in the world will know the drug, even if the brand name is different,” Dr. Vyas explains. “It lowers the risk of a patient getting the wrong medication if they’re in a different country.”

Choosing a generic drug’s suffix

Coming up with a name for a generic drug is a bit easier than naming a brand drug.

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

For instance, generic drugs that end in:

• “-oxetine” (fluoxetine and paroxetine) are selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) that treat mood disorders.
• “-prazole” (omeprazole and esomeprazole) are proton pump inhibitors for acid reflux.

Choosing a generic drug’s prefix

Companies can get more creative with the one- to two-syllable prefix. But there are some things the prefix can’t do, like:

• Have the letters H, J, K, W or Y because some world languages don’t use those letters
• Look or sound similar to other generic drugs that share the same suffix
• Reflect or promote the name of the drug company
• Use medical terms, like “onco” for a cancer (oncology) drug

Approving a generic drug name

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

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

How brand drugs get their names

Pharmaceutical companies invest a lot of resources into developing a new drug. They’re like the company’s baby — and just like expectant parents, they scrap hundreds of potential names, weeding out ones that aren’t quite right.

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

“Some drug names like Prozac® and Viagra® have become so commonplace that they now appear in dictionaries,” notes Dr. Vyas. “They’re now seen as synonymous with a particular health condition.”

Focus groups and other research methods help companies home in on their top choice from as many as 200 drug names under consideration. It might not always seem like it, but companies try to choose names that are easy to pronounce in different languages. They also make sure that a translated name doesn’t mean something offensive.

Often, companies try to come up with 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 music lyrics (like the soothing of nerves).

Approving a brand drug name

Drug companies can submit only one brand name to the FDA for approval, and they can submit two names to the European Medicines Agency (EMA). While drug companies hope the two organizations agree on the same name, they don’t have to. In India, for instance, the statin drug Lipitor® goes by the name Atocor™.

The FDA and EMA require that a brand drug name doesn’t:

• Look or sound similar to other brand drugs
• Make medical claims, like using the word “rapid” to imply that the drug works faster than others
• Use a generic suffix or too closely resemble the generic drug name
• Promote the drugmaker

If the FDA or EMA rejects a drug name, pharmaceutical companies must go back to the drawing board. Selecting another name means more time and money, which delays the drug’s entry into the market.

A drug by any other name

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

“Companies want a drug name that’s easy to say and remember,” Dr. Vyas reiterates. “Their hope is that you’ll ask your provider about it after you see an ad or that you’ll tell your friends about the new medication that’s worked for you.”