Brand name

The term "brand name" refers to the trade name given by a manufacturer to a product, often under which it is marketed and sold to the public. In the pharmaceutical industry, brand name drugs are marketed under a proprietary, trademark-protected name given by the drug's manufacturer. These drugs are typically protected by patents that prohibit any generic versions from being sold until the patent expires. Once the patent expires, generic versions of the drug may be offered for sale, which usually are sold under the generic name of the active ingredient rather than the brand name.

Understanding Brand Names and Generics

• Brand Name: The name given by the pharmaceutical company that developed the drug.
• Generic Name: The name of the active ingredient in the drug, usually derived from the chemical name.

Brand name drugs are often more well-known to the public than their generic counterparts. However, generic drugs contain the same active ingredients as the brand name drug and are considered bioequivalent in terms of dosage, strength, route of administration, quality, performance, and intended use.

Notable Brand Name Drugs and Their Generic Equivalents

Tylenol bottle closeup (loose_crop)

• Abilify - Aripiprazole: Used to treat certain mental/mood disorders.
• Humira - Adalimumab: Commonly prescribed for autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis.
• Nexium - Esomeprazole: Helps reduce stomach acid, treating gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).
• Crestor - Rosuvastatin: A statin medication for controlling high cholesterol.
• Enbrel - Etanercept: Treats autoimmune diseases by inhibiting tumor necrosis factor (TNF).
• Advair Diskus, Seretide - Fluticasone/salmeterol: Used in the management of asthma and COPD.
• Remicade - Infliximab: Treats symptoms of autoimmune diseases.
• Lantus Solostar - Insulin glargine: A long-acting form of insulin used for diabetes.
• Neulasta - Pegfilgrastim: Stimulates growth of white blood cells.
• Copaxone - Glatiramer: An immunomodulator drug used to treat multiple sclerosis.
• Rituxan, MabThera - Rituximab: Used for diseases that involve inflammation and overactive immune responses.
• Spiriva - Tiotropium bromide: A bronchodilator that relaxes muscles in the airways and increases airflow to the lungs.
• Januvia - Sitagliptin: Works to regulate levels of insulin produced after eating.
• Lantus - Insulin glargine: Treats both type 1 and type 2 diabetes.
• Atripla - Emtricitabine/tenofovir/efavirenz: A combination drug used for treating HIV.
• Cymbalta - Duloxetine: Primarily used to treat major depressive disorder.
• Avastin - Bevacizumab: An anti-cancer drug.
• Lyrica - Pregabalin: Used to treat epilepsy, neuropathic pain, and generalized anxiety disorder.
• OxyContin - Oxycodone: A powerful opioid prescribed for severe pain.

Also see

• List of drugs

Brand name Resources
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