# Generic drug names with alternating consonants and vowels **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 11, 2021, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/generic-drug-names-with-alternating-consonants-and-vowels/944023 "2021-06-11T03:03:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![blabbermeister](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e9a140/32.png) [@blabbermeister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blabbermeister)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2021, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/generic-drug-names-with-alternating-consonants-and-vowels/944023/1 "2021-06-11T03:03:03Z")
A thread here mentions the generic drug aducanamab and that reminded me of this question. It seems to me an unusually high proportion of generic drug names have this quality. Please do not respond with a counterexample. Of course if you don’t have share this impression you may say so. If you agree, why do you think it is? Are drug names chosen to be easy to pronounce in many languages? Is it because their root words are from chemistry and chemistry uses such a principle? Thank you. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2021, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/generic-drug-names-with-alternating-consonants-and-vowels/944023/2 "2021-06-11T03:36:26Z")
[Here is an _extensive_ list of generic drug names.](https://www.needymeds.org/generic-drug) At first glance (just skimming through the “A” page), I see plenty of examples and plenty of counter-examples. (Not to mention various counter-examples of OP’s thesis that generic names are pronounceable 🙂 at least in English.) ETA: OP specifically mentions _aducanamab_ – In that other thread, I recall some mention that this is simply [bamanacuda spelled backward](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aducanamab-fda-approval-patient-feelings/943964/10). So that’s just named after a dangerous game fish. ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2021, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/generic-drug-names-with-alternating-consonants-and-vowels/944023/3 "2021-06-11T03:48:02Z")
Many of them arise from a root followed by one or more suffixes, and most suffix form begin with a vowel, which allows flexibility. “Inimitability” is an example if a string of affixes. Alternating pharma-orthography is probably no more common than the general vocabulary of longish synthetic words. But when you see “semimanipulativity” your mind grasps it as a familiar word that you don’t need to parse in order to say it in your mind. It’s the parsing that calls its staccato features to attention. ---
**Author:** ![TheGunIsMightierThanThePen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thegunismightierthanthepen/32/2981_2.png) [@TheGunIsMightierThanThePen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheGunIsMightierThanThePen)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2021, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/generic-drug-names-with-alternating-consonants-and-vowels/944023/4 "2021-06-11T03:55:42Z")
This [article](https://www.ama-assn.org/about/united-states-adopted-names/united-states-adopted-names-naming-guidelines) has a pretty good rundown on the guidelines companies have to follow when naming a drug. In particular, pay attention to the section titled “Specific nomenclature rules”. One excerpt from that section: > [@](#): > > Because of the international exchange of drug information, specific guidelines have been formulated to ensure appropriate translation of nonproprietary names into other languages. These rules of preferred phonetic spelling should be used: > > - The letter “f” should be used instead of “ph” > - The letter “t” should be used instead of “th” > - The letter “e” should be used instead of “ae” or “oe” > - The letter “i” should be used instead of “y” > - Avoid the letter “h” > - Avoid the letter “k” > - Avoid the letter “j” > - Avoid the letter “w” > - “ar,” “rac,” “lev,” “dex” or “es” are reserved for stereochemical configurations   > [@Senegoid](#): > > ETA: OP specifically mentions _aducanamab_ – In that other thread, I recall some mention that this is simply [bamanacuda spelled backward](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aducanamab-fda-approval-patient-feelings/943964/10). So that’s just named after a dangerous game fish. “Bamanacuda” isn’t even a real word though, so that can’t be the reason. However, the “_-mab_” suffix of the name indicates it is a monoclonal antibody, and based on the official guidelines, a name ending in “_-vir_” (_e.g._ remdesivir) means an antiviral drug and ending in “_-prazole_” (_e.g._ omeprazole) means a proton-pump inhibitor, to give a couple of other examples. > **[Drug nomenclature | List of stems and affixes](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drug_nomenclature#List_of_stems_and_affixes)** > > More comprehensive lists can be found at the National Library of Medicine's Drug Information Portal or in Appendix VII of the USP Dictionary. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2021, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/generic-drug-names-with-alternating-consonants-and-vowels/944023/5 "2021-06-11T04:01:52Z")
> [@TheGunIsMightierThanThePen](#): > > and ending in “ _-prazole_ ” ( _e.g._ omeprazole) means a proton-pump inhibitor, I’ve wondered about [aripiprazole](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aripiprazole), though, which is an antipsychotic drug and doesn’t appear to have anything to do (at least not obviously) with proton-pump inhibition. ---
**Author:** ![TheGunIsMightierThanThePen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thegunismightierthanthepen/32/2981_2.png) [@TheGunIsMightierThanThePen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheGunIsMightierThanThePen)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2021, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/generic-drug-names-with-alternating-consonants-and-vowels/944023/6 "2021-06-11T04:12:40Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > I’ve wondered about [aripiprazole](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aripiprazole), though, which is an antipsychotic drug and doesn’t appear to have anything to do (at least not obviously) with proton-pump inhibition. Huh, yeah that appears to be one of the oddball exceptions that made it past the naming censors. Funny thing, I looked it up and a couple of sites indeed warn that it can be confused with other “_-prazole_” drugs, and that prescribing it for peptic ulcers can result in “unnecessary side effects” 🤔 ---
**Author:** ![Reeses\_Monkey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reeses_monkey/32/2885_2.png) [@Reeses\_Monkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeses_Monkey)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2021, 6:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/generic-drug-names-with-alternating-consonants-and-vowels/944023/7 "2021-06-11T06:34:20Z")
I used to work for an inbound call center specializing in setting up medical trials. We spent three days in a classroom with a vocab list of drug names, practicing their correct pronunciation. When we changed to a new trial, we got a new list of tongue twisters. ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2021, 9:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/generic-drug-names-with-alternating-consonants-and-vowels/944023/8 "2021-06-11T09:54:27Z")
If I may… Not a drug, but a country: United Arab Emirates Apologies for veering off topic, but semi-related and a fun trivia fact. mmm ---
**Author:** ![DavidNRockies](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidnrockies/32/6279_2.png) [@DavidNRockies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidNRockies)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2021, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/generic-drug-names-with-alternating-consonants-and-vowels/944023/9 "2021-06-11T13:24:26Z")
Hi. I’m Phil Collins from Genesis. Ask your doctor or pharmacist if _Abacab_ might be right for you. ---
**Author:** ![blabbermeister](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e9a140/32.png) [@blabbermeister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blabbermeister)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2021, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/generic-drug-names-with-alternating-consonants-and-vowels/944023/10 "2021-06-12T01:01:52Z")
Thanks for the interesting responses! ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2021, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/generic-drug-names-with-alternating-consonants-and-vowels/944023/11 "2021-06-12T03:20:27Z")
> [@TheGunIsMightierThanThePen](#): > > However, the “ _-mab_ ” suffix of the name indicates it is a monoclonal antibody Nice try. Everyone knows that the suffix -mab indicates that it’s an Unseelie Sidhe drug. ---
**Author:** ![keeganst94](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/a6a055/32.png) [@keeganst94](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/keeganst94)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2021, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/generic-drug-names-with-alternating-consonants-and-vowels/944023/12 "2021-06-13T01:46:33Z")
This is because some of the suffixes that are “reserved” for different classes of drugs are actually chemical nomenclature that have been appropriated and used improperly by the pharmaceutical industry. For example, the -prazole name comes from [azoles](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azole), which are five-membered rings that contain at least one nitrogen atom. Many proton-pump inhibitors contain that type of ring, so the name stuck, but not all proton-inhibitors do, which often leads to confusion among chemists. Piprazole is a (fairly rare) suffix that refers to [phenylpiperazine](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phenylpiperazine), which is found in aripiprazole. ---
**Author:** ![TheGunIsMightierThanThePen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thegunismightierthanthepen/32/2981_2.png) [@TheGunIsMightierThanThePen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheGunIsMightierThanThePen)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2021, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/generic-drug-names-with-alternating-consonants-and-vowels/944023/13 "2021-06-13T02:54:50Z")
Thanks. So it is more accurately worded as ari-piprazole rather than aripi-prazole. Seems to me that, since you mentioned it is quite rare, chemists may find it worthwhile to define a new suffix for phenylpiperazine compounds, lest these mix-ups keep happening in the future. ---
**Author:** ![keeganst94](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/a6a055/32.png) [@keeganst94](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/keeganst94)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2021, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/generic-drug-names-with-alternating-consonants-and-vowels/944023/14 "2021-06-13T15:08:13Z")
It’s unusual enough that I doubt anyone would bother - they would probably just refer to it as phenylpiperazine if there was a chance of confusion. It’s more of a problem when the suffix is very common (as in the azole example), but even then it’s more of an annoyance than a real problem. It’s basically malapropisms that have become industry standard - grating to chemists, unnoticeable to anyone else. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2021, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/generic-drug-names-with-alternating-consonants-and-vowels/944023/15 "2021-06-13T15:58:14Z")
OK, now that that’s answered, can someone explain the drug names that look like they are trying to set a scrabble single word record? Like Fulyzaq. Or Xeljanz. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2021, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/generic-drug-names-with-alternating-consonants-and-vowels/944023/16 "2021-06-13T16:29:39Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > Like Fulyzaq. Or Xeljanz. Cat walking on the keyboard? I think it’s needing a unique name which can’t be confused with some other drug name plus that there’s a awful lot of other drugs out there that often have multiple names. So those other drugs are using up a lot of the namespace and drug namers are getting desperate. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2021, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/generic-drug-names-with-alternating-consonants-and-vowels/944023/17 "2021-06-13T22:10:42Z")
Plus they think they need to choose names that can’t be a double-entendre in any known language. (ETA: I suppose the more unpronounceable a name is, the more likely they will succeed at this.) ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2021, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/generic-drug-names-with-alternating-consonants-and-vowels/944023/18 "2021-06-14T00:06:29Z")
In my younger days, **Yamaha** was always my ‘Go-To’ for a quick high. Ain’t nothin’ like twisting the throttle on a 465cc Two-stroke!