Can a Name Misbrand a Drug? FDA Study

FDA is seeking comments on new proposed research by CDER’s Office of Prescription Drug Promotion (OPDP) entitled “Empirical Study of Promotional Implications of Proprietary Prescription Drug Names.” The study is intended to give FDA insight into improving its proprietary name review that focuses on potential misbranding from names that overstate drug efficacy, an FDA notice says. It is designed to answer two research questions: 

  • How, if at all, do names that suggest a drug’s indication affect consumers’ or healthcare providers’ perceptions of the product?
  • How, if at all, do names that suggest an overstatement of the efficacy of the drug affect consumers’ or healthcare providers’ perceptions of the product?

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