Source: http://cen.acs.org/articles/90/i3/Drug-Names-Come.html
The letters h, j, k, and w are off-limits because they lead to pronunciation problems in other languages.
Source:http://www.pharmacytimes.com/contributor/timothy-o-shea/2015/09/15-rx-drug-name-origins
1. Ambien - Used as a sleeping aid, the word Ambien translates as “good morning” (AM = morning, Bien =good in Spanish).
2. Fosamax - Used for osteoporosis, or bone weakening. (Os = bone and max = great in Latin).
3. Flomax and Rapaflo - Used in men with an enlarged prostate to maximize urine output, or flow.
11. Tylenol - Traces back to its chemical name “N-aceTYL-para-aminophENOL.”
12. Viagra - Named for its suggestion of vitality, virility, and virgor and because it rhymes with Niagra, signifying force and endurance. It is also theorized that the name was inspired by the Sanskrit word "vyaghra" which means tiger.
13. Vicodin - Its component hydrocodone is approximately 6 times as potent as codeine. Therefore, it is thought that the manufacturer named it VI (6 in roman numerals) times codin (codeine)
14. Warfarin - Derived from WARF (Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation) and –arin from coumarin. Most of the people involved in discovery of the original molecule were students of the University of Wisconsin.
15. Xarelto - Works by inhibiting Factor Xa in the clotting cascade
Source: http://archive.boston.com/lifestyle/health/blog/inpractice/2012/07/how_are_drugs_named.html
The letters h, j, k, and w are off-limits because they lead to pronunciation problems in other languages.
Source:http://www.pharmacytimes.com/contributor/timothy-o-shea/2015/09/15-rx-drug-name-origins
To do so, drug manufacturers often work with branding agencies that use large databases to help them generate unique names. The generated names often use linguistic tricks such as plosive letters (P, T, D, K, Q, and hard C) to convey power, or fricative letters (X, F, S, or Z) to imply speed.
But authority over pharmaceutical trade names ultimately rests with the FDA and the US Patent and Trademark Office. The FDA prohibits names that imply efficacy or are associated with the intended indication.
As a result, marketers often look for names that subtly and indirectly convey an idea, suggesting improved quality of life. Still, the FDA fully rejects one-third of the hundreds of names proposed annually.
As a result, marketers often look for names that subtly and indirectly convey an idea, suggesting improved quality of life. Still, the FDA fully rejects one-third of the hundreds of names proposed annually.
Here is a list of 15 commonly prescribed drugs with the origin of their name:
1. Ambien - Used as a sleeping aid, the word Ambien translates as “good morning” (AM = morning, Bien =good in Spanish).
2. Fosamax - Used for osteoporosis, or bone weakening. (Os = bone and max = great in Latin).
3. Flomax and Rapaflo - Used in men with an enlarged prostate to maximize urine output, or flow.
4. Flonase - Allergy medication that aims to stop nasal flow or discharge.
5. Lasix - Short for “lasts 6 hours” because of its 6-hour duration of action.
6. Levitra - Comes from the word “elevate” and for its sound of European elegance (le indicates masculinity in French, vitra suggests life and vitality).
7. Lopressor - Used to lower blood pressure.
8. Lunesta - Used to help sleeping (Luna = moon in Latin).
9. Macrobid - This formulation of Macrodantin is used twice daily (BID).
10. Penicillin - Coined by Alexander Fleming, the name was derived from the fungus Penicillium notatumwhose important antibacterial properties were first noticed by Fleming. The name of the fungus comes from its shape which resembles a paintbrush, which in Latin is penicillus.
11. Tylenol - Traces back to its chemical name “N-aceTYL-para-aminophENOL.”
12. Viagra - Named for its suggestion of vitality, virility, and virgor and because it rhymes with Niagra, signifying force and endurance. It is also theorized that the name was inspired by the Sanskrit word "vyaghra" which means tiger.
13. Vicodin - Its component hydrocodone is approximately 6 times as potent as codeine. Therefore, it is thought that the manufacturer named it VI (6 in roman numerals) times codin (codeine)
14. Warfarin - Derived from WARF (Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation) and –arin from coumarin. Most of the people involved in discovery of the original molecule were students of the University of Wisconsin.
15. Xarelto - Works by inhibiting Factor Xa in the clotting cascade
Source: http://archive.boston.com/lifestyle/health/blog/inpractice/2012/07/how_are_drugs_named.html
Paxil: an antidepressant and anti-anxiety drug (Pax=peace in Latin)
Lunesta: a sleeping medication (Luna=moon in Latin)
Viagra: a medication for erectile dysfunction (Vi[r]= man in Latin and Agra=field, usually farmed or fertile in Latin and Greek)
Fosamax: a drug for osteoporosis, or bone thinning (Os=bone Max=great in Latin)
Sometimes, drug names are chosen because of the meaning their sounds imply.
For example, several drugs that regulate heart rhythm end in the suffix -olol (propranolol, atenolol, nadolol)--those two echoed syllables mimicking the beating heart.
The letters "X," "Z," "N," "Q," and "K" connote cutting edge science, which the makers of Zantac, Nexium, and Protonix (all medicines for acid reflux) wish to convey.
"S." "M," "V," "L" and "R" are "soft" letters, which the names of drugs for women are likely to include. Examples are Sarafem (for pre-menstrual syndrome) and Provera and Vivelle (hormone replacements). Many birth control pills employ these letters and sort of sound like women's first names: Junel, Alesse, Apri, Mircette, Yasmin, etc.
Medications marketed to men are more likely to contain a "hard" sound like "T," "G," "K" or "X"--like Flomax for enlarged prostate or Levitra, for erectile dysfunction. An exception is Cialis, also for ED and with only soft syllables but with a meaningful classical root (cael=sky in Latin, also connoting "up" or "above," as in "ceiling.")
Even when drugs have randomly chosen names, the companies that make them seek assistance. There's actually a website with a program, Drug-o-Matic , that generates names for pharmaceuticals.
But the frequent use of certain classical roots ("Pro," "Uni," "Vi," etc.) and of certain high tech sounding letters ("X" and "Z," especially) has led to the problem of drugs that sound alike and can be easily confused. Up to 15% of errors in drug administration are estimated to be caused by the similarity of drug names such as Celebrex (for arthritis) and Celexa (for depression) or Zocor (for high cholesterol) and Zoloft (for depression or anxiety) or Lamisil (an anti fungal) and Lamictal (an anticonvulsant and mood stabilizer). Many hospitals have initiated systems to flag such drugs. At MGH the system is called SALAD ("sound alike/look alike drugs).
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