Unraveling the Mystery: Why Hair Loss Medications Have Such Confusing Names
Minoxidil: The Hair Loss Treatment with Multiple Names
For individuals experiencing hair loss, the name of the medication containing the ingredient ‘Minoxidil’ can be confusing. This is because the same medication is sold under different names in various countries, such as ‘Rogaine’ in the US and Korea, and ‘Regaine’ in the UK and France.
Same Medicine, Different Names
Medications have three main names: the chemical name, the common name, and the trade name. The chemical name is given by researchers when a drug is first discovered, while the common name is created to make the chemical name easier to pronounce. The trade name is the brand name given to the medication when it’s ready for consumer sale.
Minoxidil, a well-known hair loss treatment, is a generic name that simplifies the chemical name ‘2,4-diamino-6-piperidino oxypyrimidine-3-oxide’. Rogaine and Regain are brand names for this ingredient. Initially developed as a blood pressure medication, Minoxidil was first approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1979 under the brand name ‘Loniten’.
After observing hair growth as a side effect in patients taking Loniten, the original developer, Upjohn (now Pfizer), conducted research to develop Loniten as a hair loss treatment. The FDA approved it as a male pattern baldness treatment in 1988.
Intuitive Name? Sometimes Metaphorical
Regulatory agencies, such as the FDA, strictly review medication names to prevent patient confusion. Pharmaceutical companies, on the other hand, prefer intuitive names that convey the medication’s effect. For example, Novartis’s blood pressure medication ‘Lopresor’ combines ‘low’ and ‘press’ to create a name that reflects its purpose.
/Photo = Korea Pfizer Pharmaceuticals
Some medication names are metaphorical, indirectly conveying the medication’s efficacy. Pfizer’s erectile dysfunction treatment ‘Viagra’ is believed to be named after ‘vigorous’ and ‘Niagara Falls’, conveying the idea of being powerful like the waterfall.
There is No Eternal Name
Pharmaceutical companies sometimes use different product names depending on the country of release. For instance, Yuhan Corporation’s ‘Leclaza’, the first anticancer drug to receive domestic approval in the US, was approved under the name ‘Razcluz’ for easier pronunciation.
Even after approval, regulatory agencies may request a name change if it’s confusing with an existing medication. This happened with the antidepressant Brintellix, which was originally approved in the US but later changed to Trintellix in 2016 due to concerns over possible confusion with the blood clot treatment drug Brilinta.
As the number of approved medications increases, confusion over medication names has become a significant challenge for regulators and the pharmaceutical industry. When naming a medication, companies must strike a balance between clearly showing the efficacy and avoiding excessive or confusing names.