When scientists discover that a potential drug that holds promise, the processes of developing the generic name and brand name begins. The United States Adopted Names (USAN) Council works in coordination with the World Health Organization's International Nonproprietary Names (INN) Programme to ensure global consistency. The generic name will allow the drug to be universally known, so that if a person is traveling abroad and needs a particular medication, they can inquire about the one they use back home and access it by the same name.

Generic drug names have two parts: a prefix and a suffix. The suffix acts as a scientific family name to describe the way the drug works in the body, while the prefix is often chosen to reflect the drug’s chemical structure or therapeutic class, as well as distinguishes the drug from other medications, and may impart a mood or a feeling. “We look for syllables that obviously are different from other existing generic names and that are pleasant enough in their tonality or appearance, so it doesn’t become overly complex to try to pronounce the generic name,” says Quinlan.