Drug naming: 'more art than science'

The Cincinnati Enquirer is running an entertaining little piece about how pharmaceuticals are named. I've seen similar stories about how cars are named; however, the naming of cars is rarely so crucial to, uh, not killing people.

In the past decade, the drug-brand consulting industry has grown dramatically to help companies find the right name for a new drug. The price often runs $200,000 to $500,000 per product. The right name can give a drug cachet. The wrong name can lead to serious medical errors.

According to the Food and Drug Administration’s Web site, an 8-year-old died after receiving methadone instead of methylphenidate. A 19-year-old man showed signs of potentially fatal complications after he was given clozapine instead of olanzapine.

A 50-year-old woman was hospitalized after taking Flomax, used to treat an enlarged prostate, instead of Volmax, used to relieve bronchospasm.

So yeah, maybe this is a case where high-paid consultants aren't exactly a bad idea. At any rate, the article goes on to dig into the artistry of naming techniques:

“A lot of it is more art than science,” said William Trombetta, professor of pharmaceutical marketing at St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia. “There are certain letters that express power and control, like Z, M or P. Other letters, like S, are more passive. Depending on what the drug does, you want to give the name certain features.”

Want to sound high-tech? Go for lots of Z’s and X’s, such as Xanax, Xalatan, Zyban and Zostrix.

Want to sound poetic? Try Lyrica, Truvada and Femara.

Want to suggest what it does? Flonase is an allergy medicine that aims to stop nasal flow. Lunesta, a sleeping drug, implies “luna,” the Latin word for moon - a full night’s sleep.

And then there’s Viagra, the erectile-dysfunction drug made by Pfizer. It uses the prefix “vi” to suggest vigor and vitality. The word rhymes with Niagara, suggesting a mighty flow.

“You know exactly what Pfizer was trying to say with that,” said Andy Valvur, senior brand strategist at Igor, a San Francisco branding company.

And of course, here's my favorite little snippet:

Drug names can suggest, but under FDA rules they can’t come right out and make medical claims. That’s why you won’t see TumorBeGone or CureAll.

That explains that...