They’re all called things like Zyrtec or Imbruvica. What is the convention that’s used to create these names, and why can’t they just be called something normal, like … I dunno, ‘Headache-Be-Gone’ ?
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To add to this, drug companies actually aren’t allowed to have a name that implies their drug works. That’s why the names seem so random and not related to the thing they treat.
“The USAN Council is, therefore, aware of the importance of coining names that will not be confused with other drug names, compromise patient safety, or mislead health care professionals and patients about the action or use of a new drug substance.” [source](https://journalofethics.ama-assn.org/article/how-do-drugs-get-named/2019-08)
Best to just avoid giving it a name related to its biological action at all in case doctors get confused or they want to use the drug for a different purpose in the future. (Would encourage anyone to read the rest of the link too, very cool discussions about why generic names are necessary and about the early ages of medicine when doctors felt that they shouldn’t tell the patients the name of the drugs they were taking at all!)
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