Why Is This Drug Called Addyi?

On Tuesday, the FDA finally approved flibanserin, a drug intended to treat hypoactive sexual desire disorder in premenopausal women. The drug was rejected twice by the FDA prior to Tuesday's approval, causing celebration for backers of the drug and its creator, Sprout Pharmaceuticals. The drug has been inaccurately coined as the "female Viagra," but its chemical name is flibanserin; ultimately, Sprout Pharmaceuticals landed on Addyi for the drug's commercial name. So why is flibanserin called Addyi, and where does that name come from?

A drug's chemical name, which can be thought of as the formal name by which chemists and pharmacists are able to identify the type and purpose of a given medication, pertains to the chemical composition of the drug, and the sort of illness the drug treats. The commercial name is the name that pharmaceutical companies use to brand the drug, and how the medicine will be referred to in marketing situations, and most likely in patient conversations with doctors. Because a new drug's commercial name is a marketing concern, Popular Science states that drug companies are generally hesitant to reveal their naming processes for new drugs.

Regarding the naming of Addyi, a representative from Sprout tells Bustle, "We chose this unique name and spelling to represent the utility of the treatment and essence of the brand. It represents the individuality of the first of her kind, and the definition of a woman's best self."

Lots of drugs have a very complicated spelling, and people can get confused about how to pronounce the commercial name of a drug when they want to discuss it with their doctor. While Addyi is a short and sweet name, I've been confused about how to pronounce the medication. Concerning pronunciation, Sprout also tells us that the correct pronunciation of the new medicine is "add-ee."

Now that we know more about Addyi, perhaps everyone will stop calling it "the female Viagra" and start associating Addyi with its own unique chemical makeup and the disorder that it has been created to address. The new drug is controversial and comes with side effects like any medication, but it is expected to improve the lives of women all over the world.