And then there were four. Amgen’s Evenity, Alexion’s Ultomiris, BeiGene’s Brukinsa and Johnson & Johnson’s Spravato remain in contention in the #FierceMadness drug name tournament.
How did they get here? The last round of voting saw a surge of interest—with double the votes—as dedicated fans rallied for their favorites.
In Rare Diseases/Miscellaneous, in one of the closer contests, Ultomiris beat Vertex's Trikafta by a score of 398-333, with the "ultimate" name associations surging for the win. Others continued to mention comic book heroes and ultimate fighters as reasons for their votes, and in the end, as one commenter wrote, “Superhero eats kebab.”
In the Oncology matchup, it was Brukinsa over Pfizer's Talzenna by a 456-349 tally. While one voter didn’t like the sound of Brukinsa, saying, “it sounds like a large opera singer wearing a hat with horns,” many others liked the strong-sounding "brute" association and what “Dwayne the Rock Johnson eats for lunch.” As one voter surmised, “In the battle of the superheroes, the bone-crushing power of Brukinsa proves too much for the talons of Talzenna.”
In the CNS division, Spravato eliminated Jazz's Sunosi by a count of 386-307. Voters went strong for the "sun," but the "spray mechanism" connections and plenty of "bravado" helped Spravato to the Final Four. We also agreed with this Thursday late-night voter, who said, “Spravato sounds like an Italian apertif. I could use one right now.”
In the Infectious Diseases/Primary Care region, Evenity trounced AbbVie's Skyrizi with a 746-177 showing. Some voters applauded Evenity's new mechanism of action for women with osteoporosis, while others pointed to “even” and “integrity” connections that drove the Amgen drug to a win.
With more than 300 comments on this contest, it’s impossible to share them all—however, one voter wrote an actual poem that more than makes the cut:
“Geezerette's Health Limerick, by a member of the titular group
Post-menopausal women have much
On their minds to consider, as such:
Stocking up on Serenity
And injecting Evenity
Thank heavens we no longer feel lust.”
Voting for the final two and comment here through 10 p.m. on Tuesday. Check back on Wednesday to see drugs will head to the final game!
Final Four (Vote here)
(6) Ultomiris vs. (13) Evenity
Ultomiris
Maker: Alexion
Indication: paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria
Sounds like: a cosmetic brand
Evenity
Maker: Amgen
Indication: osteoporosis
Sounds like: work-life balance in perfect alignment
(9) Brukinsa vs. (11) Spravato
Brukinsa
Maker: BeiGene
Indication: mantle cell lymphoma
Sounds like: the bro posse at a hipster consulting firm
Spravato
Maker: J&J Janssen
Indication: treatment-resistant depression
Sounds like: a newly discovered type of mushroom