WHAT’s In A Name: Drug names explained

by Biotech Primer | May 6, 2025 | Business of Biotech

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Drug names sound like someone dropped the alphabet—adalimumab, omeprazole, atorvastatin—but these tongue-twisters are coded. The FDA (along with other naming bodies) uses a system of prefixes, infixes, and suffixes to sneak in info about what the generic drug is, what it does, and how it works. Read on to level up your pharma-speak by learning to decode drug names.

Why It Matters

Patient safety. Each new drug gets a name proposal, which is checked against thousands of existing names for potential confusion, pronunciation hazards, and even cultural faux pas (no embarrassing translations, please).
Drug identification. Understanding a drug’s generic name helps doctors, pharmacists—and even curious patients—quickly identify a drug’s category or target. Think of it like a secret decoder ring for your prescriptions.

Drug Name Breakdown

The prefix is unique. No meaning here. An example includes “ada-” in adalimumab
The infix is optional. It’s a root word (or two) tucked in the middle and can hint at the drug’s origin, target, or action. For example, for adalimumab, “-li-” tells you it acts on the immune system, and “-mu-” indicates it’s derived from human sequences.
The suffix is the star of the show! It tells about the drug class. For example, “-mab” in adalimumab reveals it’s a monoclonal antibody.

Putting it all together, adalimumab is a human-derived monoclonal antibody that interacts with the immune system.

Common Infixes

-ci- = cardiovascular system target (abciximab, caplacizumab)
-tu- = tumor target (trastuzumab, rituximab)
-vi- = viral target (palivizumab, sotrovimab)
-os- = bone-related target (denosumab, romosozumab)
-tox- = toxins target (denileukin diftitox, moxetumomab pasudotox)

Common Suffixes

-mab = monoclonal antibody (adalimumab, trastuzumab)
-statin = cholesterol-lowering drugs (atorvastatin, simvastatin)
-cillin = penicillin antibiotics (amoxicillin, ampicillin)
-vir = antivirals (oseltamivir, acyclovir)
-nib = kinase inhibitors for cancer (imatinib, ibrutinib)

Preventing Naming Chaos

The FDA doesn’t name drugs alone—it works with United States Adopted Name (USAN) and the World Health Organization (WHO) to prevent global naming chaos.

They want names that are:

Easy to pronounce
Not easily confused
Globally acceptable
Tied to a drug’s mechanism or structure

The Bottom Line

Generic drug names may sound intimidating, but they’re smartly designed mini cheat codes. If you can crack the infix and the suffix, you’ll know more than half the story. And hey—next time someone mentions adalimumab, you can casually say, “Ah yes, a monoclonal antibody targeting the immune system.” And you’ll sound like a total pharma insider!