How are Prescription Biologic Drug names determined?

Scientist working in a laboratory.National Cancer Institute/Unsplash

How are Prescription Biologic Drug names determined?

As someone who took the biologic medication Belimumab, brand name Benlysta, for Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE), I wondered how do they come up with these drug names?

Belimumab?

Do they make this stuff up as they go?

I started to notice other drugs with a similar naming convention or scheme, either mentioned in advertisements or articles.

For example; Rituximab (Mabthera), a cancer medication, is frequently mentioned in COVID-19 vaccination articles.

So I set out to learn why or what these names mean.

Naming Scheme

The following sections of the article detail the various components that go into the naming scheme. Italicized portions are taken from the American Medical Association (AMA) article: United States Adopted Names - Gene Therapy Naming Scheme

Two scientists working on vials in a laboratory.National Cancer Institute/Unsplash

Since I researched on the basis of Belimumab, the following details about naming schemes are specific to noncellular products produced by insertion of genetic material (transgene) into a vector (virus or plasmid) and where altered genetic material is administered to patients as a biologic drug.

From my layman's understanding, Belimumab is the latter: where altered genetic material is administered to patients as a biologic drug.

First Word

The first word in the naming scheme corresponds to the gene component.

Prefix: Fantasy element to provide unique identification; to contribute to the distinct name.

Aha! So they are making some of this stuff up!

Wizard working on a potion bowl.Artem Maltsev/Unsplash

I must say I like the description Fantasy element, although I would be hesitant to inject myself with something named Merlinsmagical-mumab.

Infix: Element to denote the gene’s mechanism of action (pharmacologic class) such as:

• -ald- [adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD) protein]
• -beglo- [βA-t87Q-globin]
• -bermin- [vascular endothelial growth factor]
• -cabta- [cell expressed antibody and T cell activation]
• -cima- [cytosine deaminase]
• -ermin- [growth factor]
• -etid- [eczema-throbocytopenia-immunodeficiency syndrome]
• -far- [interferon]
• -fermin- [fibroblast growth factor]
• -kin- [interleukins]
• -lim- [immunomodulator]
• -lip- [human lipoprotein lipase]
• -mul- [multiple gene]
• -naco- [coagulation factor IX]
• -nad- [NADH dehydrogenase]
• -nermin- [tumor necrosis factor (TNF)]
• -octoco- [coagulation factor Vlll]
• -pap- [human papilloma virus]
• -papkino- [human papilloma virus and IL-2]
• -permin- [hepatocyte growth factor]
• -repi- [REP-1 gene]
• -reti- [retinal pigment]
• -semn- [SMN]
• -stim- [colony stimulating factor]
• -tima- [thymidine kinase]
• -tusu- [tumor suppression]

Stem: Element to indicate gene.

• -gene

Second Word

The second word in the naming scheme corresponds to the vector component.

Prefix: Fantasy element to provide unique identification; to contribute to the distinct name

There's that fantasy part again!

Infix: Element to denote the type of viral vector such as:

• -adeno- [adenovirus]
• -cana- [canarypox virus]
• -foli- [fowlpox virus]
• -herpa- [herpes virus]
• -lenti- [lentivirus]
• -morbilli- [paramyxoviridae morbillivirus]
• -parvo- [adeno-associated virus (parvovirdae dependovirus)]
• -retro- [other retro viruses]
• -vaci- [vaccinia virus]

Stem: Element to identify type of vector

• -vec [non-replicating viral vector]
• -repvec [replicating viral vector]
• -plasmid [plasmid vector]

Belimumab?

Hopefully, the material above is helpful to you in understanding the naming of certain drugs. However, it did not appear to answer my own Belimumab question. Apparently, the stem -mab is not included in the AMA article.

Per Wikipedia...

The stem -mab is used for monoclonal antibodies as well as for their fragments...

And based on the Belimumab target, B-cell activating factor (BAFF, BLyS), you get a sense of the generic and brand name, Benlysta, evolved.

Primary Source

A thank you to the American Medical Association (AMA) for the article I utilized in my research:

United States Adopted Names - Gene Therapy Naming Scheme

"Life With Lupus" articles by this author...

• The Wolf Within Me
• When The Wolf Escapes
• Medications
• Mortality
• Perhaps I'm A Better Man...Make That Wolfman?
• The Life I Lost
• Everything Hurts
• Coping At Work
• Dealing With Doctors
• Flare
• Home Remedies
• Relating To Others
• Fear
• Online Community Review - BetterDays
• Vaccination Shot #1
• May Is Lupus Awareness Month
• The Patient And The Weather Website
• Awareness Month - Did You Know?
• Survivor Spotlight - Shakita Jones
• Comorbidities
• Antiphospholipid Syndrome

And related articles by this author...

• Working With Serious Or Deadly Illness?
• Biggest Surprise Working With Serious Illness
• Lupus And Raynaud's Disease
• No One Gives A Fork How Many Spoons I Have

Follow me to see more articles like this.

...

Follow

This is original content from NewsBreak’s Creator Program. Join today to publish and share your own content.