99% Invisible Ask Your Doctor About
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May 12, 2026 
Arlene Tech, a veteran pharmaceutical namer and poet credited with naming Viagra, shares craft and intuition behind memorable drug names. Scott Piergrosi, head of creative at Brand Institute, explains the multi-hundred-name process, FDA constraints, and visual letter choices. Sean Cole, a reporter and narrator, guides the investigation into how creativity, regulation, and language shape the names we remember.
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Drug Naming Is A Deliberate Creative Sprint
- Drug naming is a rigorous, large-scale creative process rather than a lone marketer's flash of inspiration.
- Brand Institute assembles small teams that generate 300–500 candidate names then filter them through clients and regulators.
How Viagra Originated From A Prostate Naming Session
- Arlene Tech named Viagra during a prostate drug project after a urologist's image of a "strong stream" led her to Niagara and the word Viagra.
- The name was later repurposed for an erectile dysfunction drug when Pfizer noticed an unexpected side effect.
Prozac Started The Blank Canvas Name Trend
- The 1988 launch of Prozac shifted pharmaceutical naming toward memorable, abstract "blank canvas" names focused on marketing not description.
- David Wood chose semi-abstract elements like "pro" plus a sharp final syllable to create instant recognition.