X and Z in favor as companies name new drugs

(Reuters) - They may be difficult to pronounce, but pharmaceutical companies eager to grab the attention of doctors and patients are returning to drug names starting with X and Z.

Recent X-branded names include prostate cancer treatment Xtandi, lung cancer drug Xalkori, and Xgeva for cancer that has spread to bone. The letter Z is also becoming popular for new drugs like Zaltrap for colon cancer, melanoma drug Zelboraf and prostate cancer treatment Zytiga.

"The X and Z trend was pretty hot and heavy eight or nine years ago - that's when we had names like Zoloft, Zyban and Zocor," said Vince Budd, senior vice president at brand consulting firm Addison Whitney's healthcare division, referring to popular drugs for depression and high cholesterol.

"It was seen as an opportunity to create something unique," said Budd. "I believe we have come full circle and we are back there again, especially in oncology."

Of the 15 drugs with "X" appellations approved by the Food and Drug Administration since 1995, seven were launched in the last two and half years.

Marketing and linguistics experts say the rarity of X and Z in most words make for memorable, unique names. They are also "fricative" letters that imply speed or fluidity.

"In terms of cognitive psychology ... they need a memorable, distinctive name that doesn't have negative associations," said Matthew Traxler, psychology and linguistics professor at the University of California, Davis. "They may be distinct in terms of sound, but also visually distinct."

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There are more practical reasons for the names.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration as well as the European health regulator both have strict guidelines, not always overlapping, for what would be an acceptable name for a new medicine.

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X and Z in favor as companies name new drugs