brand name

A brand name is the trademarked marketing name a company gives to its particular drug product. It is the catchy, capitalized name you see in advertisements and on the box. Where the generic name is the substance's plain identity, the brand name is more like a label on one bakery's loaf, even though several bakeries may sell the very same bread.

Brand names are owned by the manufacturer and protected as trademarks, so only that company may use them. They are designed to be memorable and easy to say, and a single active substance can appear under many different brand names across companies and countries. The same brand may even cover several different formulations or combinations from one manufacturer.

The convenience of brand names comes with a safety cost: relying on them can hide the fact that two differently named products contain the same active drug, risking accidental double-dosing. Brand names also outlive patents, so a familiar brand may cost far more than an identical generic. For these reasons clinical communication usually favors the generic name, with the brand mentioned only when the specific product matters.