Apparently, X and Z are the trendiest new letters in drug names. There are some crazy names out there and it really makes you wonder, "How do they come up with these?" I know this is a question many doctors ask themselves, as they are responsible to for learning not only the names, but being able to link it to the proper disease state, indications and safety information.
It's the job of pharmaceutical consultants to create a name that isn't already taken or will lead to medical mix-ups because of other products on the market with similar sounding names. Finding a unique name can be very difficult when there are more than 30,000 trademarked prescription drugs in the United States alone and 150,000 in Europe. The people in marketing spend more time and money in focus groups and market research than one could imagine to come up with a name such as Pfizer's Xeljanz. Then, once they have found suitable options, it must pass regulatory approval. It's like a never ending game of Scrabble! 10 points for the letter Z!
This article talked about recent studies showing drug names starting with X and Z are more memorable and evoke some positive relationship with doctors or patients, which led me to consider what does make a good name? I started searching the web as I was curious to learn more and happened to come across a second article from USA Today referencing William Trombetta, who happens to be a past professor of mine from the pharmaceutical marketing program at St. Joseph's University, what are the odds!
Dr. Trombetta states: "A lot of it is more art than science. 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."
It's the job of pharmaceutical consultants to create a name that isn't already taken or will lead to medical mix-ups because of other products on the market with similar sounding names. Finding a unique name can be very difficult when there are more than 30,000 trademarked prescription drugs in the United States alone and 150,000 in Europe. The people in marketing spend more time and money in focus groups and market research than one could imagine to come up with a name such as Pfizer's Xeljanz. Then, once they have found suitable options, it must pass regulatory approval. It's like a never ending game of Scrabble! 10 points for the letter Z!
This article talked about recent studies showing drug names starting with X and Z are more memorable and evoke some positive relationship with doctors or patients, which led me to consider what does make a good name? I started searching the web as I was curious to learn more and happened to come across a second article from USA Today referencing William Trombetta, who happens to be a past professor of mine from the pharmaceutical marketing program at St. Joseph's University, what are the odds!
Dr. Trombetta states: "A lot of it is more art than science. 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."
It also mentioned the X's and Z's are "high-tech" triggers. That article was written in 2007. Fast forward six years to 2013 and what once seemed high-tech is now commonplace and the most popular names seeking approval or launch currently. I wonder what would be considered a high-tech trigger letter today?
Read more at Fierce Pharma: Xs and Zs become popular in drug names
Click here for: USA Today Article
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