What does it mean?
In: Chemistry
Other people have already explained the mab nomenclature. How drugs are named in general is a bit complicated.
Pfizer actually has an extensive ELI5: https://www.pfizer.com/news/articles/ever_wonder_how_drugs_are_named_read_on#
TLDR:. There are certain guidelines they follow, but they still have to get fairly creative. The drug name then has to go through approval by US, then WHO regulators, who often propose changes. The suffix, as others point out, indicate how the drug works.
The Pfizer article explains that the prefix is more complicated:
The prefix gets a little more creative. “We look for syllables that obviously are different from other existing generic names and that are pleasant enough in their tonality or appearance so it doesn’t become overly complex to try to pronounce the generic name,” says Quinlan. Celecoxib. Quinapril. Ziprasidone.
When devising those names, there are a number of rules that apply. Quinlan shared some of those rules:
It must use two syllables in the prefix. This will help distinguish the drug from others, and allows for more variety.
It must avoid certain letters. The generic drug name is created using the Roman alphabet, and the goal is to create a name that can be communicated globally. Because the letters Y, H, K, J, and W aren’t used in certain languages that use the Roman alphabet, they aren’t used in the creation of the prefix of the name.
It can’t be considered marketing. Using the company’s name within the drug’s name must be avoided. Also, it’s important to stay away from superlatives or laudatory terms (best, new, fastest, strongest) that could be considered promotional.
It avoids medical terminology.You don’t want to imply that a drug is intended only for one particular function, because in time, if it is also helpful for another purpose, the name could be reductive. “Say you were developing a treatment for oncology indications and you launched a product for those indications, but over time in further research you discovered it worked on inflammation and immunology indications. If you had something like “Onc-” in the beginning of your generic name that would be very limiting,” says Quinlan.
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