‘What’s in a Name?’ When it Comes to Approval for a Drug Name, a Lot

The process of bringing a new pharmaceutical drug to market is time-consuming and expensive. The process of naming the new drug, while not as scientifically complex, is often no less work. Drugs have several names, including their chemical (or scientific), generic (or non-proprietary) and brand (or proprietary) names. The chemical name specifies the molecular structure of the drug. The generic name specifies the underlying compound of the drug and includes a “stem” that informs health care professionals about how the drug will work in the body. In the United States, generic names must be approved by the United States Adopted Names (USAN) Council and the World Health Organization (WHO) INN Programme. While the chemical and generic names may be available for use by others in the industry, the brand name—under which the new drug is typically marketed—is unique and exclusive to the brand owner and is the focus of this article.Read More