#generic name

[h0use-fly]

named him atlas

[allthebaedraws]

i dont know what im doing

[crowzii]

Character design challenge #1 w/ my QPPs

[gamewtfs]

Pshaw, FIGHTER2 could hit seven times for 1 damage if he or she wanted to!

[maladaptvs-fandom]

tumblr is fun because i know your name but you’re still alexhornelover69 to me

[blessed-pineapple-cruncher]

a horror movie but everyone’s name is super generic. We got the usual trio of Sam, Karen and Jake, but then the eldrich abomination shows up and it turns out it’s name is like Steve.

“Karen!” “Run Jake. Run or Steve will get you!!!”

also: LoTR’s but Sauron’s name is Adam 

[hivforum]

Hi Dr Joel. How do they choose the names for the ART medications? Do the names actually say something about how they work, or are they just mumbo jumbo? Tks!

It can go either way. Generic names sometimes make sense.  For example, with hepatitis C drugs, the last few letters of the generic name indicate the mechanism of action or drug class.  A classic example in HIV was enfuvirtide, the generic name for the fusion inhibitor Fuzeon or T20.  The “en” stood for “envelope,” the “fu” for “fusion,” the “vir” for “virus, and the “tide” for peptide. However, few generic names are that logical (and that one was a mouthful.)

Brand names sometimes have meaning as well.  In the example above, Fuzeon, was chosen because the drug inhibits fusion. Triumeq and Trizivir got their names because they’re both combination pills containing three (”tri”) drugs. 

Brand names are chosen by the drug company, often with the help of the marketing department, hired brand name consultants, and focus groups. They like names that seem powerful, which is apparently why so many drug names have Z’s and X’s in them. Prezcobix has both a “z” and an “x” (bonus!) but it makes some sense, because it contains darunavir (Prezista) and cobicistat. However, the decision about brand names is ultimately up to the FDA. They may reject a brand name, often to avoid confusion with other drugs. They can also reject names that seem too promotional. For example, if memory serves the proposed brand name for what we now know as Epzicom was something like EZTab.  It was nixed by the FDA, presumably because it sounded too much like a commercial.

Another factor is that drug companies like to have complex and cumbersome generic names (e.g. “enfuvirtide”) but simple brand names that roll off the tongue (e.g. “Fuzeon”), because they want to people to refer to the drug by the brand name.  I’m not sure why that is.  It may just be corporate pride (”We spent a lot of money coming up with this name, so we want people to use it!”) Maybe it helps to foster brand loyalty years later after the drug goes generic. However, in CME lectures, we’re told to refer to drugs by their generic names to avoid any perception of corporate bias.  That makes things difficult when we have to refer to Genvoya as “coformulated elvitegravir /cobistat /emtricitabine /tenofovir alafenamide,” a real mouthful that can take up a good part of the lecture, leaving the audience completely in the dark.  I generally break the rule, placing a higher priority on education than on compliance.