Insulin (Humilin)

Insulin glargine (Lantus)

Insulin determir (Levemir)
Insulin aspart (Novolog)
Insulin lispro (Humalog)

The brand names of your long-acting insulins both start with "L" (as in "long") --
Lantus, Levemir
Levemir (brand) and detemir (generic) rhyme
Aspart and lispro are analogs of regular insulin -- thus novoLOG and humaLOG
Humulin is most similar to endogenous human insulin -- notice how "human" is
almost in the brand name
Vancomycin can Vanquish MRSA
Here are just a few examples of "look alike/sound alike" drug names:
Pitocin/Pitressin
Pitocin (generic name: oxytocin) is an intravenous drug used most commonly to
induce labor
Pitressin (generic name: vasopressin) is an injectable hormone that may be given
during cardiac arrest, septic shock, or for diabetes insipidus (a condition in which
frequent urination develops due to a lack of the naturally occurring form of the
hormone, vasopressin)
Amrinone/Amiodarone The concern about mixing up these two drugs led to the highly
unusual decision in 2000 to officially change the generic name of amrinone to inamrinone.
Amrinone (brand name:Inocor) is a medication that can improve the pumping
function of the heart in people with heart failure
Amiodarone (brand name: Cordarone) treats an unstable heart rhythm (called
ventricular arrhythmias)
Celexa/Celebrex
Celexa (generic name: citalopram ) is an antidepressant in the same family as
Prozac.
Celebrex (generic name: celecoxib) is an anti-inflammatory medication for aches,
pains and arthritis.
Prilosec (generic name: omeprazole) or Nexium (generic name: esomeprazole)? If so, the advertisers
have done their job well. These are brand names for medications used to treat gastroesophageal
reflux disease or GERD. They are much more expensive than generic omeprazole, although there is
little difference in effectiveness or safety. The prescription sleep aid "Lunesta" (generic name:
eszopiclone) seems to be a combination of the Latin word for moon (luna) and the Spanish word for
nap (siesta). Both words bring to mind images of nighttime, rest and tranquility. Not a bad choice for
a sleep medication.
The original name proposed for the osteoporosis drug "Boniva" was "Bonviva." The change occurred
because Bonviva, which comes from the Latin bon and viva, could be assumed to promise "good life."
The drug might make the bones stronger, but the FDA thought a good life was promising too much.
"-pril" Medications including enalapril, lisinopril and captopril, among others, treat
high blood pressure, heart disease and kidney problems. They are all ACE-inhibitors,
so-named because they all inhibit the enzyme, angiotensin-converting enzyme.
"-statin" These cholesterol-lowering drugs all inhibit a particular enzyme (called HMG
CoA reductase) that is important in cholesterol synthesis. Examples include
atorvastatin, lovastatin, and pravastatin, among others.
"-cillin" This stem refers to a group of closely related antibiotics, including penicillin,
ampicillin, and dicloxacillin.

"cef-" A group of antibiotics, called cephalosporins (such as cefazolin, cefotaxime
and cefaclor) use the "cef" stem at the beginning of the name (as a prefix), rather
than at the name's end (as a suffix).