UPDATED: Wednesday, April 6 6:00 AM ET
Voting is now closed for the 2022 championship.
“Voxzogo sounds like the evil fire-breathing dragon that is going to be slayed by the handsome, charming Prince of Tavneos,” said one voter in our championship poll, who turned out to be right on the money.
BioMarin’s growth drug was the favorite going into the final after smashing every opponent throughout the tournament, but Voxzogo is now going nowhere as ChemoCentryx’ underdog Tavneos has swooped in to take a resounding victory.
Readers cast 4,843 votes for this final round, but in the end, it was a slam dunk for Tavneos, which won by the massive margin of 80% to 20%, taking 3,338 votes in the process.
Voxzogo is still a worthy runner-up with its daring with its use of V, X and Z, though as one voter put it, they may also have been its downfall: “No contest here. Tavneos is simple to spell and pronounce and thus easily remembered. Voxzogo is none of the above.”
I can also attest to this, having checked and re-checked Voxzogo's spelling throughout #FierceMadness, as it does not roll off the keyboard. For more reader commentary on this year's drug names, check out our Twitter Hall of Fame thread.
“On paper, Tavneos and Voxzogo are evenly matched competitors,” said Scott Piergrossi, president of creative at the Brand Institute, which named both drugs.
Both names consist of seven letters and three syllables, Piergrossi pointed out, and their prefixes take two letters from their respective ingredient names: Tavneos/avacopan and Voxzogo/vosoritide.
Both also tap a “suggestive suffix,” with “neos” being the Greek word for new and “go” connoting activity or action, Piergrossi said.
But the two names differ in style and tonality. “Voxzogo conveys a youthful energy and incorporates relatively unique letter strings, whereas Tavneos has a more traditional sound and appearance, perhaps appealing to a primarily older patient population,” Piergrossi said.
Thank you to all those who voted in this year's #FierceMadness tournament. Check back next week for an interview with those behind the winning drug’s name and join us again next March for another tournament.
UPDATED: Monday, April 4 6:00 AM ET
The Final Four round is now closed.
We whittled two years of FDA-approved drug names down to the most interesting, weird and wonderful 68, and now, after three weeks of voting, we have your finalists: BioMarin’s growth drug Voxzogo will be fighting against ChemoCentryx’ vasculitis drug Tavneos.
Voxzogo has consistently been smashing each round and it was no different in its Final Four matchup against Horizon’s thyroid eye disease drug Tepezza. The BioMarin therapy won out easily, 74% to 26%, with just under 1,600 total votes cast, to move into the final.
The Voxzogo name has won voters' praise for its connection to going, growth and the use of V, X and Z. One voter in its last round said the moniker was like “a fierce python and Tepezza is like a faulty pez dispenser. Is it even a competition?”
It was a closer battle between Voxzogo’s championship challenger Tavneos, which has been a quiet assassin on its route to the final. A drug from a small biopharma for an obscure condition, it didn’t post quite the winning margin that BioMarin’s drug did, but it still beat out AstraZeneca and Amgen’s asthma drug Tezspire in the Final Four with a comfortable 65%-to-35%, with 2,300 total votes cast.
One voter said, “Tavneos sounds smooth and gives calm feeling,” while others pointed to the "neo" portion of the name: “Neo and I see new.”
While the four drugs treat very different conditions, their names bear many common features. Three out of the four finalists have a Z in their name, with Voxzogo bringing the Z with it to the final. Three out of the four start with the letter T, with Tavneos and Tezspire all having a rather Italian feel to them.
All four names were also all created, alongside their pharma drug creators, with the Brand Institute.
Tezspire and Voxzogo also have their conditions in mind, with Tezspire hinting as respire, an instant reference to its respiratory label. Voxzogo, as many voters pointed out, shouts “to go” and hints at “to grow,” which of course is what the drug is designed to help patients do.
But who will be the winner of the 2022 drug naming tournament? As always, that’s now over to you.
And if you haven't yet, print the PDF bracket, or click this link, fill in your predictions, take a photo and tweet it to @FiercePharma.
Remember to add your comments in the voting ballot as you choose your favorites. Voting is open until Tuesday at 6 p.m. ET. Check back here on Wednesday morning for your winner!
#FierceMadness 2022: The finalists
Voxzogo vs. Tavneos
Voxzogo
Maker: BioMarin
Indication: To improve growth in children 5 years of age and older with achondroplasia and open epiphyses
Sounds like: An exotic parrot
Tavneos
Maker: ChemoCentryx
Indication: Severe active anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic autoantibody-associated vasculitis
Sounds like: A European airline
Click through to the poll link below and vote for your choice!
UPDATED: Wednesday, March 30 6:00 AM ET
The Elite Eight-round is now closed.
The Elite Eight have become the Final Four, and we now have our two remaining match-ups battling out for a place to fight to be crowned our drug naming tournament champion.
Bristol Myers Squibb’s strong run with its multiple sclerosis drug Zeposia finally came to an end, though it was a close battle. Horizon’s thyroid eye disease drug Tepezza got through to the Final Four by just 52% to 48%, with nearly 600 votes in total.
Voters likened Tepezza to a soft, Italian-sounding name and liked the used of the double ‘z’, while one said that it “definitely beats something that could be a new formulation of ZEP floor cleaner. ‘Have you tried Zeposia? My floors have never looked better.'"
It was a similar turnabout for Merck and Ridgeback’s Ebola treatment Ebanga. Voters had liked the name's similarity to the disease it fights and its upbeat feel, but Ebanga has now fallen to the wayside, beaten out by AstraZeneca and Amgen’s respiratory drug Tezspire.
Tezspire's battle with Ebanga wasn’t as close as Zeposia versus Tepezza. The AZ-Amgen entrant won easily in the end, 62% to 38%. As one voter explained, “Tezspire sounds aspirational, and patients will improve in soooo many ways. Ebanga? for Ebola? get it, but trying too hard.”
BioMarin’s growth drug Voxzogo also continued its march to the Final Four, once again pummelling its rival by a huge margin. This time, it prevailed over Bayer’s kidney and heart disease drug Kerendia by 83% to 17%, with more than 800 votes in total.
Voters liked that “Voxzogo sounds like speed (Velocity) and action (Go), which are advantages of a therapeutic especially related to growth,” while one other thought “Kerendia is a little vague.”
Voxzogo will now face ChemoCentryx’ vasculitis drug Tavneos, which beat out Apellis’ paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria therapy Empaveli 52% to 48%, another close battle with more than 700 votes cast.
One voter thought, “Both of these sound like bistros. Tavneos is the clear winner using "neo' to signal a new therapy. Tavneos is also the easier to pronounce. Is it em-pa-vel-eye or em-pa-vel-ee?”
Please vote in our new poll at the bottom of the page or at this link for the new matchups for our remaining four drugs.
And if you haven't yet, print the PDF bracket, or click this link, fill in your predictions, take a photo and tweet it to @FiercePharma.
Remember to add your comments in the voting ballot as you choose your favorites. Voting is open until Friday at 6 p.m. ET. Check back here on Monday morning for your last two fighting for the championship win!
#FierceMadness 2022: The Elite 8 challengers
Tepezza vs. Voxzogo
Tepezza
Maker: Horizon
Indication: Thyroid eye disease
Sounds like: A next-gen TicTac
Voxzogo
Maker: BioMarin
Indication: To improve growth in children 5 years of age and older with achondroplasia and open epiphyses
Sounds like: An exotic parrot
Tezspire vs. Tavneos
Tezspire
Makers: AstraZeneca, Amgen
Indication: Severe asthma
Sounds like: An optimistic Ted talk
Tavneos
Maker: ChemoCentryx
Indication: Severe active anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic autoantibody-associated vasculitis
Sounds like: A European airline
Click through to the poll link below and vote for your choices!
UPDATED: Monday, March 28 6:00 AM ET
The Sweet 16 round is now closed. Vote in the next round here until 6 p.m Tuesday.
We are tantalizingly close to finding a winner for this year’s Fierce Madness drug naming tournament, and you have been voting in droves to get your winning names into our latest round.
The Elite Eight is dominated by BioMarin’s growth drug Voxzogo, which saw similarly strong performances in former rounds, but outdid itself this time. Voxzogo smashed its rival, Eli Lilly’s cancer drug Retevmo, 87% to 13% with nearly 800 votes in total for that round, the highest of all the Sweet 16 match-ups.
Voters liked that Voxzogo brought “motion and action to the game” while “Retevmo sounds too much like a boutique oil additive.”
Bristol Myers Squibb’s multiple sclerosis drug Zeposia also had a strong showing, beating out GlaxoSmithKline’s cancer drug Jemperli 63% to 37%, the second-biggest winning margin after BioMarin.
Voters thought “Jemperli sounds like some combined Gem and Pearl together. Gets kinda cheesy,” while others liked that Zeposia had the “shoutout to the Z of ozanimod [its ingredient name], and the "posia" sounds like pose, which I like for MS.”
The other votes were tighter, with Merck’s Ebola treatment Ebanga only just getting through, nabbing 51% of the vote against Gilead’s breast cancer drug Trodelvy.
“Ebanga sounds like a slang word kids would use for... something naughty,” commented one voter, whilst another thought “Ebanga actually sounds like what it's for, whereas Trodelvy just sounds too much like troglodyte to my ear to win out over any other name.”
Please vote in our new poll, at the bottom of the page or at this link, for the new matchups for our remaining 8 drugs.
And if you haven't yet, print the PDF bracket, or click this link, fill in your predictions, take a photo and tweet it to @FiercePharma.
Remember to add your comments in the voting ballot as you choose your favorites. Voting is open until Tuesday at 6 p.m. ET. Check back here on Wednesday morning for your Final 4 that will go through to the next round.
#FierceMadness 2022: The Elite 8 challengers
Zeposia vs. Tepezza
Zeposia Maker: Bristol Myers Squibb
Indication: Relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis
Sounds like: The capital city of every fictional alien world
Tepezza
Maker: Horizon
Indication: Thyroid eye disease
Sounds like: A next-gen TicTac
Tezspire vs. Ebanga
Tezspire
Makers: AstraZeneca, Amgen
Indication: Severe asthma
Sounds like: An optimistic Ted talk
Ebanga
Maker: Ridgeback Biotherapeutics
Indication: Ebola
Sounds like: A great song
Kerendia vs. Voxzogo
Kerendia
Maker: Bayer
Indication: To reduce the risk of kidney and heart complications in chronic kidney disease associated with Type 2 diabetes
Sounds like: An unusual baby name
Voxzogo
Maker: BioMarin
Indication: To improve growth in children 5 years of age and older with achondroplasia and open epiphyses
Sounds like: An exotic parrot
Tavneos vs. Empaveli
Tavneos
Maker: ChemoCentryx
Indication: Severe active anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic autoantibody-associated vasculitis
Sounds like: A European airline
Empaveli
Maker: Apellis
Indication: Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria
Sounds like: A group of people who really understand you
Click through to the poll link below and vote for your choices!
UPDATED: Wednesday, March 21 6:00 AM ET
The round of 32 is now closed. Vote in the next round here until 6 p.m Friday.
Another round down and we’re getting closer to our finalists, but let’s check in where we are as 32 have been whittled down to your Sweet 16.
Things are getting a lot tighter in our matchups and none more so than for Deciphera’s GI cancer drug Qinlock, which snuck through 51% to 49% against Horizon’s rare disease therapy Uplizna, with 223 total votes.
Voters liked “the rebelliousness of a Q without a u!” and also thought our winner sounded “like a cyberpunk detective.”
Horizon had some recompense for Uplizna's loss: The biggest win for this round came for the company's thyroid eye disease drug Tepezza over Takeda's lung cancer med Exkivity. Tepezza scored a hearty 68% victory over just 32% for the Takeda drug.
This win was closely followed by Urovant’s overactive bladder drug Gemtesa, which beat out AstraZeneca’s childhood cancer drug Koselugo 65% to 35%. The comments were varied on this one, but one voter thought “Gemtesa sounds lighter than Koselugo, which sounds like the villain in a medieval drama.”
BioMarin’s growth drug Voxzogo was the standout winner in our last round, trouncing PharmaEssentia’s polycythemia vera therapy Besremi, which got only 15% of the vote compared to 85% for Voxzogo. But it was a much closer call for Voxzogo this time around. Against Novartis’ lung cancer drug Tabrecta, BioMarin’s drug pulled through—but with a much smaller margin, 53% to 47%. As one voter said, “Tabrecta sounds too much like a suppository.”
Tabrecta has now truly come to an end as Voxzogo is still on the go.
Please vote in our new poll, at the bottom of the page or at this link, for the new matchups for our remaining 16 drugs.
And if you haven't yet, print the PDF bracket below, or click this link, fill in your predictions, take a photo and tweet it to @FiercePharma.
Remember to add your comments in the voting ballot as you choose your favorites. Voting is open until Friday at 6 p.m. ET. Check back here on Monday morning for your winners that will go through to the next round.
#FierceMadness 2022: The sweet 16 challengers
Jemperli vs. Zeposia
Jemperli
Maker: GlaxoSmithKline
Indication: Endometrial cancer
Sounds like: A laundry detergent
Zeposia
Maker: Bristol Myers Squibb
Indication: Relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis
Sounds like: The capital city of every fictional alien world
Tepezza vs. Gemtesa
Tepezza
Maker: Horizon
Indication: Thyroid eye disease
Sounds like: A next-gen TicTac
Gemtesa
Maker: Urovant
Indication: Overactive bladder disorder
Sounds like: A medieval princess
Tezspire vs. Qinlock
Tezspire
Makers: AstraZeneca, Amgen
Indication: Severe asthma
Sounds like: An optimistic Ted talk
Qinlock
Maker: Deciphera
Indications: Gastrointestinal-stromal tumors
Sounds like: A cyberpunk detective
Ebanga vs. Trodelvy
Ebanga
Maker: Ridgeback Biotherapeutics
Indication: Ebola
Sounds like: A great song
Trodelvy
Maker: Gilead
Indication: Triple-negative breast cancer
Sounds like: A monster under a bridge
Kerendia vs. Byfavo
Kerendia
Maker: Bayer
Indication: To reduce the risk of kidney and heart complications in chronic kidney disease associated with Type 2 diabetes
Sounds like: An unusual baby name
Byfavo
Maker: Acacia Pharma
Indication: Sedation
Sounds like: Slang for helping someone out
Retevmo vs. Voxzogo
Retevmo
Maker: Eli Lilly
Indication: Lung and thyroid cancers
Sounds like: A 1980s car workshop
Voxzogo
Maker: BioMarin
Indication: To improve growth in children 5 years of age and older with achondroplasia and open epiphyses
Sounds like: An exotic parrot
Tavneos vs. Gavreto
Tavneos
Maker: ChemoCentryx
Indication: Severe active anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic autoantibody-associated vasculitis
Sounds like: A European airline
Gavreto
Maker: Blueprint Medicines
Indication: Non-small lung cancer
Sounds like: A British ice cream
Empaveli vs. Zynlonta
Empaveli
Maker: Apellis
Indication: Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria
Sounds like: A group of people who really understand you
Zynlonta
Maker: ADC Therapeutics
Indication: Blood cancer
Sounds like: A life-long sinner
Click through to the poll link below and vote for your choices!
UPDATED: Monday, March 21 5:00 AM ET
The second round is now closed. Vote in the next round here until 6 p.m Tuesday.
Down to 32. The biggest #FierceMadness voting round is done, and we had some interesting battles to get here.
Most of our winners had a fairly clear margin of victory, beating out their competitors with 60-to-40 margins on average. But there were some outliers. Gilead’s breast cancer drug Trodelvy only edged out Sanofi’s multiple myeloma drug Sarclisa by the thinnest of margins, 51% to 49%.
It was the same razor-wire finish for Acacia Pharma’s sedative Byfavo and Incyte’s biliary tract cancer drug Pemazyre, which came in 51% to 49% in favor of Byfavo. A similar story played out for Novartis’ next-gen anti-cholesterol drug Leqvio, which just beat out challenger Viltepso, NS Pharma’s Duchenne therapy, 52% to 48%.
With that battle, not everyone thought Novartis was the worthy winner, obviously. As one voter put it: “I have to go with Viltepso on this one. Leqvio sounds like a bottled water with vitamins and a weak kiwi flavour.”
Alongside the narrow wins, we also had some major blowouts, none bigger than BioMarin’s growth drug Voxzogo. That name won by a massive 85% against PharmaEssentia’s polycythemia vera therapy Besremi, which got only 15% of the vote.
Another big victory was for Bristol Myers Squibb’s multiple sclerosis drug Zeposia, which beat out Biogen’s Alzheimer’s med Aduhelm by 73% to 27%. Aduhelm’s controversy appears to be haunting Biogen here as well, with many comments highlighting its questionable FDA approval a year ago.
One commentator summed it up: “Aduhelm has poor perceptions in the medical community already. Zeposia sounds pleasant and calming.”
Please vote in our new poll, at the bottom of the page or at this link, for the new matchups for our remaining 32 drugs.
And if you haven't yet, print the PDF bracket below, or click this link, fill in your predictions, take a photo and tweet it to @FiercePharma.
Remember to add your comments in the voting ballot as you choose your favorites. Voting is open until Tuesday at 6 p.m. ET. Check back here Wednesday morning for your Sweet 16 that will go through to the next round.
#FierceMadness 2022: The 32 bracket challengers
Jemperli vs. Tivdak
Jemperli
Maker: GlaxoSmithKline
Indication: Endometrial cancer
Sounds like: A laundry detergent
Tivdak
Makers: Genmab, Seagen
Indication: Cervical cancer
Sounds like: A new social media platform
Rukobia vs. Zeposia
Rukobia
Maker: ViiV Healthcare
Indication: HIV
Sounds like: The destination for the Scarlett Witch’s city break
Zeposia
Maker: Bristol Myers Squibb
Indication: Relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis
Sounds like: The capital city of every fictional alien world
Tepezza vs. Exkivity
Tepezza
Maker: Horizon
Indication: Thyroid eye disease
Sounds like: A next-gen TicTac
Exkivity
Maker: Takeda
Indication: Non-small cell lung cancer
Sounds like: Gesundheit!
Gemtesa vs. Koselugo
Gemtesa
Maker: Urovant
Indication: Overactive bladder disorder
Sounds like: A medieval princess
Koselugo
Maker: AstraZeneca
Indication: Neurofibromatosis type 1
Sounds like: A heavyweight boxer
Tezspire vs. Nexletol
Tezspire
Makers: AstraZeneca, Amgen
Indication: Severe asthma
Sounds like: An optimistic TED talk
Nexletol
Maker: Esperion
Indication: Anti-cholesterol
Sounds like: Premium gas for supercars
Qinlock vs. Uplizna
Qinlock
Maker: Deciphera
Indications: Gastrointestinal-stromal tumors
Sounds like: A cyberpunk detective
Uplizna
Maker: Horizon
Indication: Neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder
Sounds like: A podcast about positivity
Ebanga vs. Evkeeza
Ebanga
Maker: Ridgeback Biotherapeutics
Indication: Ebola
Sounds like: A great song
Evkeeza
Maker: Regeneron
Indication: Homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia
Sounds like: A brilliant idea
Trodelvy vs. Zokinvy
Trodelvy
Maker: Gilead
Indication: Triple-negative breast cancer
Sounds like: A monster under a bridge
Zokinvy
Maker: Eiger
Indication: To treat rare conditions related to premature aging
Sounds like: Someone jealous of your boxing game
Nurtec ODT vs. Kerendia
Nurtec ODT
Maker: Biohaven
Indication: Migraine prophylaxis
Sounds like: A 1990s IT firm
Kerendia
Maker: Bayer
Indication: To reduce the risk of kidney and heart complications in chronic kidney disease associated with Type 2 diabetes
Sounds like: An unusual baby name
Byfavo vs. Tazverik
Byfavo
Maker: Acacia Pharma
Indication: Sedation
Sounds like: Slang for helping someone out
Tazverik
Maker: Epizyme
Indication: Epithelioid sarcoma
Sounds like: An angry Australian mammal
Klisyri vs. Retevmo
Klisyri
Maker: Almirall
Indication: Actinic keratosis of the face or scalp
Sounds like: A new line of jewelry from a Kardashian
Retevmo
Maker: Eli Lilly
Indication: Lung and thyroid cancers
Sounds like: A 1980s car workshop
Voxzogo vs. Tabrecta
Voxzogo
Maker: BioMarin
Indication: To improve growth in children 5 years of age and older with achondroplasia and open epiphyses
Sounds like: An exotic parrot
Tabrecta
Maker: Novartis
Indication: To treat patients with non-small cell lung cancer
Sounds like: A pharmacist’s shorthand for how a medicine is administered
Leqvio vs. Tavneos
Leqvio
Maker: Novartis
Indication: Hypercholesterolemia or mixed dyslipidemia
Sounds like: A poorly made bootleg version of "Let it Go" from "Frozen"
Tavneos
Maker: ChemoCentryx
Indication: Severe active anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic autoantibody-associated vasculitis
Sounds like: A European airline
Gavreto vs. Welireg
Gavreto
Maker: Blueprint Medicines
Indication: Non-small lung cancer
Sounds like: A British ice cream
Welireg
Maker: Merck
Indication: To treat von Hippel-Lindau disease under certain conditions
Sounds like: A dirt bike trick
Empaveli vs. Rylaze
Empaveli
Maker: Apellis
Indication: Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria
Sounds like: A group of people who really understand you
Rylaze
Maker: Jazz Pharmaceuticals
Indication: Blood cancer
Sounds like: Extremely indolent
Zynlonta vs. Skytrofa
Zynlonta
Maker: ADC Therapeutics
Indication: Blood cancer
Sounds like: A life-long sinner
Skytrofa
Maker: Ascendis Pharma Skytrofa
Indication: To treat short stature due to inadequate secretion of endogenous growth hormone
Sounds like: Elon Musk’s Mars settlement
Click through to the poll link below and vote for your choices!
UPDATED: Wednesday, March 16 8:36 AM ET
Play-in round is now closed. Vote in the next round until 6 p.m Friday, March 18.
In the #FierceMadness play-in round, we had one big winner and three close shaves.
Jazz Pharmaceuticals went off on a crazy solo act as its lung cancer drug Zepzelca easily beat out Amgen’s rival Lumakras, getting 73% of the vote against 27% with 313 votes cast—and securing one of the four play-in spots for the full tournament bracket.
The rest of our play-in round was a close-run thing. Roche’s neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder drug Enspryng beat out argenx's Vyvgart, but not by much: The final tally was 53% to 47%, with 189 votes cast.
It was a very similar story with our other two play-ins: A photo finish with a 52% to 48% win for Novartis' cholesterol drug Leqvio over Aurinia’s lupus drug Lupkynis, with 190 votes altogether.
And it was another thin margin for Biohaven's win over AbbVie in the migraine drug name-off, with Nurtec ODT getting through at the expense of Qulipta, 54% to 46%, with a total of 213 votes.
These winners have now joined the tournament, filling out our 64-drug name bracket.
Please vote in our poll at the bottom of the page. And if you haven't yet, print the PDF bracket above, fill in your predictions, take a photo and tweet it to @FiercePharma.
Remember to add your comments in the voting ballot as you choose your favorites. Voting is open until Friday at 6 p.m. ET. Check back here Monday morning for the 32 winners that will go through to the next round.
#FierceMadness 2022: The full bracket of 64
Jemperli vs. Enspryng
Jemperli
Maker: GlaxoSmithKline
Indication: Endometrial cancer
Sounds like: A laundy detergent
Enspryng
Maker: Roche
Indication: Neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder
Sounds like: An ingredient for the cauldron
Tepmetko vs. Tivdak
Tepmetko
Maker: Merck KGaA
Indication: Non-small cell lung cancer
Sounds like: A European grocery shop
Tivdak
Makers: Genmab, Seagen
Indication: Cervical cancer
Sounds like: A new social media platform
Veklury vs. Rukobia
Veklury
Maker: Gilead
Indication: COVID-19
Sounds like: A Scandinavian superhero
Rukobia
Maker: ViiV Healthcare
Indication: HIV
Sounds like: The destination for the Scarlett Witch’s city break
Aduhelm vs. Zeposia
Aduhelm
Maker: Biogen
Indication: Alzheimer’s disease
Sounds like: A 17th century voyaging ship
Zeposia
Maker: Bristol Myers Squibb
Indication: Relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis
Sounds like: The capital city of every fictional alien world
Oxlumo vs. Tepezza
Oxlumo
Maker: Alnylam
Indication: Primary hyperoxaluria type 1
Sounds like: A very strong type of gravy
Tepezza
Maker: Horizon
Indication: Thyroid eye disease
Sounds like: A next-gen TicTac
Exkivity vs. Blenrep
Exkivity
Maker: Takeda
Indication: Non-small cell lung cancer
Sounds like: Gesundheit!
Blenrep
Maker: GlaxoSmithKline
Indication: Multiple myeloma
Sounds like: What sales reps are called behind their backs
Inmazeb vs. Gemtesa
Inmazeb
Maker: Regeneron
Indication: To treat Ebola
Sounds like: A zebra trying to pronounce its name
Gemtesa
Maker: Urovant
Indication: Overactive bladder disorder
Sounds like: A medieval princess
Vyepti vs. Koselugo
Vyepti
Maker: Lundbeck
Indication: Migraine prevention
Sounds like: An Italian road
Koselugo
Maker: AstraZeneca
Indication: Neurofibromatosis type 1
Sounds like: A heavyweight boxer
Tezspire vs. Zepzelca
Tezspire
Makers: AstraZeneca, Amgen
Indication: Severe asthma
Sounds like: An optimistic Ted talk
Zepzelca
Maker: Jazz Pharmaceuticals
Indication: Small cell lung cancer
Sounds like: An Austrian cuisine
Barhemsys vs. Nexletol
Barhemsys
Maker: Acacia Pharma
Indication: To stop vomiting after surgery
Sounds like: An ironic dive bar
Nexletol
Maker: Esperion
Indication: Anti-cholesterol
Sounds like: Premium gas for supercars
Monjuvi vs. Qinlock
Monjuvi
Makers: Incyte, MorphoSys
Indication: Blood cancer
Sounds like: A French bespoke cocktail
Qinlock
Maker: Deciphera
Indications: Gastrointestinal-stromal tumors
Sounds like: A cyberpunk detective
Dojolvi vs. Uplizna
Dojolvi
Maker: Ultragenyx
Indication: To treat molecularly long-chain fatty acid oxidation disorders
Sounds like: A martial arts school
Uplizna
Maker: Horizon
Indication: Neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder
Sounds like: A podcast about positivity
Ebanga vs. Orladeyo
Ebanga
Maker: Ridgeback Biotherapeutics
Indication: Ebola
Sounds like: A great song
Orladeyo
Maker: BioCryst
Indication: To treat patients with hereditary angioedema
Sounds like: A yodel used in the Alps
Ongentys vs. Evkeeza
Ongentys
Maker: Neurocrine
Indication: Parkinson’s disease
Sounds like: How to address an upper-class British man
Evkeeza
Maker: Regeneron
Indication: Homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia
Sounds like: A brilliant idea
Trodelvy vs. Sarclisa
Trodelvy
Maker: Gilead
Indication: Triple-negative breast cancer
Sounds like: A monster under a bridge
Sarclisa
Maker: Sanofi
Indication: Multiple myeloma
Sounds like: A supporting cast member of "Clueless" (you must be at least 35 to get this)
Zokinvy vs. Danyelza
Zokinvy
Maker: Eiger
Indication: To treat rare conditions related to premature aging
Sounds like: Someone jealous of your boxing game
Danyelza
Maker: Y-mAbs Therapeutics
Indication: To treat high-risk refractory or relapsed neuroblastoma
Sounds like: The second choice of name for the male lead in "Grease"
Lybalvi vs. Nurtec ODT
Lybalvi
Maker: Alkermes
Indication: Bipolar disorder and schizophrenia
Sounds like: Jon Bon Jovi’s son
Nurtec ODT
Maker: Biohaven
Indication: Migraine prophylaxis
Sounds like: A 1990s IT firm
Saphnelo vs. Kerendia
Saphnelo
Maker: AstraZeneca
Indication: Lupus
Sounds like: A smooth jazz station
Kerendia
Maker: Bayer
Indication: To reduce the risk of kidney and heart complications in chronic kidney disease associated with Type 2 diabetes
Sounds like: An unusual baby name
Pemazyre vs. Byfavo
Pemazyre
Maker: Incyte
Indication: Cholangiocarcinoma
Sounds like: A graffiti tag
Byfavo
Maker: Acacia Pharma
Indication: Sedation
Sounds like: Slang for helping someone out
Tazverik vs. Ayvakit
Tazverik
Maker: Epizyme
Indication: Epithelioid sarcoma
Sounds like: An angry Australian mammal
Ayvakit
Maker: Blueprint Medicines
Indication: GIST tumors
Sounds like: A Scottish medical bag
Imcivree vs. Klisyri
Imcivree
Maker: Rhythm Pharmaceuticals
Indication: To treat obesity and the control of hunger associated with pro-opiomelanocortin deficiency
Sounds like: The noise you make when gargling
Klisyri
Maker: Almirall
Indication: Actinic keratosis of the face or scalp
Sounds like: A new line of jewelry from a Kardashian
Tukysa vs. Retevmo
Tukysa
Maker: Seagen
Indication: HER2-positive breast cancer
Sounds like: A Russian swear word
Retevmo
Maker: Eli Lilly
Indication: Lung and thyroid cancers
Sounds like: A 1980s car workshop
Voxzogo vs. Besremi
Voxzogo
Maker: BioMarin
Indication: To improve growth in children 5 years of age and older with achondroplasia and open epiphyses
Sounds like: An exotic parrot
Besremi
Maker: PharmaEssentia
Indication: To treat polycythemia vera, a blood disease that causes the overproduction of red blood cells
Sounds like: An Indian delicacy
Tabrecta vs. Inqovi
Tabrecta
Maker: Novartis
Indication: To treat patients with non-small cell lung cancer
Sounds like: A pharmacist’s shorthand for how a medicine is administered
Inqovi
Makers: Astex Pharmaceuticals, Taiho Oncology, Otsuka Pharmaceutical
Indication: To treat adult patients with myelodysplastic syndromes
Sounds like: The proper noun for investigative journalists
Viltepso vs. Leqvio
Viltepso
Maker: NS Pharma
Indication: Duchenne muscular dystrophy
Sounds like: A drunken acrobat
Leqvio
Maker: Novartis
Indication: Hypercholesterolemia or mixed dyslipidemia
Sounds like: A poorly made bootleg version of "Let it Go" from "Frozen"
Tavneos vs. Livmarli
Tavneos
Maker: ChemoCentryx
Indication: Severe active anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic autoantibody-associated vasculitis
Sounds like: A European airline
Livmarli
Maker: Mirum Pharmaceuticals
Indication: Cholestatic pruritus associated with Alagille syndrome
Sounds like: A new self-help philosophy
Gavreto vs. Orgovyx
Gavreto
Maker: Blueprint Medicines
Indication: Non-small lung cancer
Sounds like: A British ice cream
Orgovyx
Makers: Pfizer, Myovant
Indication: Prostate cancer
Sounds like: A menacing breakfast cereal company
Welireg vs. Nexviazyme
Welireg
Maker: Merck
Indication: To treat von Hippel-Lindau disease under certain conditions
Sounds like: A dirt bike trick
Nexviazyme
Maker: Sanofi
Indication: Pompe disease
Sounds like: Mashing three common biotech names into one word
Empaveli vs. Margenza
Empaveli
Maker: Apellis
Indication: Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria
Sounds like: A group of people who really understand you
Margenza
Maker: MacroGenics
Indication: HER2+ breast cancer
Sounds like: A Spanish nightclub
Scemblix vs. Rylaze
Scemblix
Maker: Novartis
Indication: Blood cancer
Sounds like: A nasty rash
Rylaze
Maker: Jazz Pharmaceuticals
Indication: Blood cancer
Sounds like: Extremely indolent
Zynlonta vs. Fotivda
Zynlonta
Maker: ADC Therapeutics
Indication: Blood cancer
Sounds like: A life-long sinner
Fotivda
Maker: Aveo Therapeutics
Indication: Kidney cancer
Sounds like: A Nike shoe
Ukoniq vs. Skytrofa
Ukoniq
Maker: TG Therapeutics
Indication: Blood cancer
Sounds like: A German slogan for a new car
Skytrofa
Maker: Ascendis Pharma Skytrofa
Indication: To treat short stature due to inadequate secretion of endogenous growth hormone
Sounds like: Elon Musk’s Mars settlement
LAUNCHED: Monday, March 14, 8:30 a.m.
It’s March, so it’s time for some #FierceMadness. Last year, we channeled the NCAA tournament for the best pharma ad campaigns, but this year we’re looking for the best of the best in drug names.
Here’s how it works.
We’ve chosen 68 of the most distinctive drug names to come out of the FDA’s 2020 and 2021 crop of new approvals. Whittling down to 68 was our staff challenge, but now it’s up to you, readers, to deliberate and vote down to the final winner.
Remember, this isn’t about the drugs themselves—neither how well they may work (or not) nor any controversies in how they were approved. We want you score these on their marketing suitability: how well they work in their field and against their rivals.
The full bracket will launch Wednesday, but for now, we have a play-in round featuring eight names competing for four spots in the tournament.
Ready to play? Read below and vote. Then, grab the printable bracket embedded here, fill in your predictions for the winners of each matchup, and tweet a photo of your completed version to @FiercePharma.
After that, we’ll be back with a new round each Monday and Wednesday through April 6, when we'll announce the winner. Any remote robo-voting will be noted, and those votes will be discarded. Please play fair.
Don’t forget to tell us why you picked what you picked—and what you think each drug name really sounds like. We gladly welcome any re-channeling of basketball Madness into your drug name commentary. We’ll include the funniest and most out-of-the-box comments in our recaps every round, so make 'em good!
Good luck, and happy Madness!
#Fierce Madness: Play-ins
Lupkynis vs. Leqvio
Lupkynis
Maker: Aurinia
Indication: Lupus
Sounds like: An excellent Scrabble score
Leqvio
Maker: Novartis
Indication: Hypercholesterolemia or mixed dyslipidemia
Sounds like: A poorly made bootleg version of Frozen’s ‘let it go’
Lumakras vs. Zepzelca
Lumakras
Maker: Amgen
Indication: Non-small cell lung cancer
Sounds like: A well-known rapper
Zepzelca
Maker: Jazz Pharmaceuticals
Indication: Small cell lung cancer
Sounds like: An Austrian cuisine
Vyvgart vs. Enspryng
Vyvgart
Maker: argenx
Indication: Myasthenia gravis
Sounds like: A complex German outfit
Enspryng
Maker: Roche
Indication: neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder
Sounds like: An ingredient for the cauldron
Nurtec ODT vs. Qulipta
Nurtec ODT
Maker: Biohaven
Indication: Migraine treatment and prophylaxis
Sounds like: A 1990s IT firm
Qulipta
Maker: AbbVie
Indication: Migraine prophylaxis
Sounds like: An alien planet