Got name? A peek into the sometimes bizarre land of pharma brand-naming

When Sanofi was searching for a name for its once-daily diabetes injectable, already approved in Europe under the brand name Lyxumia, the drugmaker naturally tried submitting the same moniker to U.S. regulators. There was just one problem: That brand was deemed too similar to Zyprexa, a medication used to treat schizophrenia and manic episodes of bipolar disorder which is made by rival Eli Lilly.