Two drugs have been flying off pharmacy shelves: Ozempic and Wegovy. They are injectable forms of the same medicine: semaglutide. The FDA states that it remains “Currently in Shortage.” Why so popular? Because of a tremendous amount of hype that semaglutide can help people lose significant weight. Now there’s competition from Zepbound. It recently received FDA approval for weight loss. It’s the twin of Mounjaro (tirzepatide), a drug approved last year for type 2 diabetes. Will the name Zepbound capture the public imagination and also start flying off pharmacy shelves?
Why Are Brand Names Such a Big Deal?
Names are important! Just consider for a moment the success of Nike, Coca-Cola, Amazon, Ford, PayPal and Lego. Companies put a lot of thought into their brand names.
That’s especially true in the pharmaceutical industry, where a successful product can bring in billions of dollars each year.
Drug companies have spent big bucks coming up with snappy names that are memorable and also reflect the nature of the medicine. Viagra (sildenafil) has become part of the lexicon. The rumor is that the pharmaceutical company was hoping to create a sense of vigor, optimism, energy and power.
Not long after launch, someone with inside information reported that:
“After only a few short months on the market, the name Viagra has come to be used as a verb, a noun, and an adjective. The word ‘Viagra’ now signals power and proactivity.”
Drug Names That Make Some Sense:
The thyroid hormone levothyroxine has been a big best seller for decades under the name Synthroid (SYNthetic THyROID). The brand name tells the prescriber and the patient exactly what the medication is.
The sleeping pill temazepam was named Restoril. It implies RESTful. So does the sedative triazolam, which has the brand name Halcion, reminiscent of the word HALCYON, which is defined as “calm” or “peaceful.” Ditto for the anti-anxiety agent clorazepate (Tranxene). The name suggests tranquility.
For years, the estrogen hormones found in Premarin were huge sellers. The name is believed to have been derived from PREgnant MARe’s urINe, the source of the medication.
Let’s not forget the heart and blood pressure pill nifedipine. The brand name Procardia has Latin and Greek roots: PRO meaning “for” or “on behalf of” while CARDIA represents heart.
New Weight Loss Drugs Are Making BIG Bucks!
A great brand name medicine can bring in billions of dollars annually. Such has been the case with the diabetes and weight loss drug semaglutide. That’s a mouthful, but its brands Ozempic for diabetes and Wegovy for weight loss have been incredibly successful.
The same exact medication, sold under two different brands, has brought in boatloads of money to the Danish company Novo Nordisk. First-half sales for Ozempic in 2023 were nearly $6 billion. Wegovy brought in close to $2 billion. The company rapidly became Europe’s most valuable firm, worth over $400 billion.
Will the Name Zepbound Ring the Cash Register?
Now, the Eli Lilly company is hoping its brands will also become household names. We wonder if the wizards who came up with the brand names for tirzepatide will be as successful.
The self-injectable form of this medicine to treat type 2 diabetes is called Mounjaro. It earned over $1.5 billion in the first half of 2023. In the third quarter alone, though, the drug brought in $1.4 billion. The buzz about this class of medications to help people lose weight is likely to have contributed to this bump.
Does the Name Zepbound Suggest Weight Loss?
Now, the company is launching the identical medicine under the name Zepbound to treat obesity. That name has generated some speculation about what it communicates.
One person on the social media channel X thinks it sounds like an off-brand bus line. Another believes it is a good word for describing jeans that are too tight.
A writer for Slate (Nov. 11, 2023), Heather Tal Murphy, shared these along with her personal interpretation, “an intergalactic pogo stick.”
A Reason for the Name Zepbound?
Although you may think the sky is the limit when it comes to brand names for drugs, there actually are some constraints. The US Food and Drug Administration will not allow names that are blatantly promotional. And drug companies can’t use an existing word.
For example, the rumor is that the FDA refused Upjohn’s first choice for topical minoxidil to grow hair. “Regain” was apparently considered “misleading.” On the other hand, the agency allowed “Rogaine” and this formulation became quite successful.
Probably the Zep in Zepbound comes from the generic name, tirZEPatide. But it’s anyone’s guess where the bound fits in. It remains to be seen if Zepbound will take off like its competitor Wegovy.
Ultimately, the pros and cons of the drug itself should drive sales. But having a really great brand name doesn’t hurt.
What Do You Think About Drug Names?
Readers have weighed in on drug names like Xanax, Zytiga, Xyzal, Xeljanz, Xarelto, Zyprexa and Zepzelca. Notice anything unique about those names? Seems the drug company wizards love Xs and Zs.
Here are just a few comments from visitors to this website:
Allan says:
“Perhaps when the drug namers run out of imagination with the X’x and Z’s they’ll cycle back around to the A’s and B’s. After a TIA [transient ischemic attack] I was prescribed Plavix, an anticoagulant. After the first scrip the insurance company said I’d have to use the generic: clopidogrel. When I first heard that name I imagined something alien, but alive crawling out of the drain in a chemistry lab. I wonder if the FDA does any testing for names like that?”
Patty added this about drug names with Xs and Zs:
“I do surveys online for virtual cash.”
“A recent long survey was all about this subject and which X, Y, and Z names were most effective. When I was allowed to write what I though, instead of a multiple choice, I told them (in more polite terms) to drop the stupid names that no one could pronounce. I told them a patient should be able to remember the name of their medication and should have no problem reading it. I told them they were way too enamored of letters that sound like “Z”.
“I’m sure someone with a degree but no real world experience decided that difficult names made them seem more important, to which I say ‘B.S.’!”
You can read more about Bizarre Brand Name Drugs That Drive Readers Crazy at this link.
And if you think brand name drug names can be bizarre, what about generic drug names? You can read about the anti-clotting drug abciximab and the antifungal medicine isavuconazonium at this link. Why in the world would anyone in their right mind allow such tongue twisters?
We would like to know what you think of the name Zepbound for weight loss. Is this a really great drug name? Please share your thoughts on drug names in the comment section below.
