Time to Refill Your Prescription For Zxygjfb

The brand names of drugs are famously odd. But they seem to be getting odder. That's the conclusion of a longtime reader, who sent this along: I was recently perusing through the recent drug approval list and was struck by how strange the trade names have become. Perhaps it is a request from the FDA so that there are fewer prescription errors, but some of these are really bizarre and don't quite roll off the tongue. USAN names I can understand, but trade names, to me anyway, used to be much more polished (Viagra, Lipitor etc). Could it have to do with the fact that most of these are for cancer? I have a list below comparing trade names from 2004 to those from the past year or so. 2004:    Vidaza;   Avastin;  Sensipar;  Cymbalta;   Tarceva;   Certican;   Factive;   Sinseron;   Alimta;  Lyrica;  Exanta 2012:   Fulyzaq;  Bosulif;  Xeljanz;  Myrbetriq;  Juxtapid;  Iclusig;  Fycompa;  Zelboraf;   Xalkori;  Jakafi;  Pixuvri He's got a point; some of those look like someone rested an elbow on the keyboard when they were filling out the form. I'd be willing to bet that the oncology connection is a real one - those drugs don't get mass-market advertising at all, so they don't have to be catchy. This Reuters article also notes the trend in cancer drugs, and brings up the need for novelty. Not only is it good to have a name that stands out in the memory, it's a legal requirement to have one that can't be easily confused with another drug. That goes f...
Source: In the Pipeline - Category: Chemists Tags: Business and Markets Source Type: blogs