What’s in a name? In pharma, everything

There’s been a spate of legal cases in India around drug brand names—and they show just how high the stakes really are.

The Bombay High Court recently restrained the use of PANTOZED-40 by an Indian pharma company which was exporting the drug to Kenya after Sun Pharma argued it was deceptively similar to its long-standing gastric drug Pantocid, a brand it has built over decades.

The court agreed, noting that even though both names are derived from the same molecule, pantoprazole, the similarity in sound Pantocid and Pantozed could easily confuse.

At the same time, a much bigger and more high-stakes battle played out between Novo Nordisk and Dr Reddy's over semaglutide—the molecule behind Novo Nordisks drugs Ozempic and Wegovy, and one of the most valuable drug classes globally today which recently saw its patent expire in India.

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The court drew a firm line on branding—with Dr Reddys being barred from selling under the name ‘Olymviq’, which was seen as too similar to Ozempic. The company was given 30 days to liquidate its inventory while shifting to a new brand Olymra

In another recent ruling, Intas Pharmaceuticals was restrained from using the name Bevtas, after it was found to be deceptively similar to Sun Pharma’s oncology brand Bevetex.

Legal experts say the concern over similar names in the pharma industry is very real. Many still rely on handwritten or even verbal instructions, where similar-sounding names can lead to substitution errors. And when it comes to life-saving drugs like cancer therapies, legal medico experts say even the slightest confusion is unacceptable, and risks exist at every stage, from prescription to dispensing.

Put all of this together, and a clear trend emerges: as competition intensifies, pharma companies get more protective of how drugs are marketed. Because in this industry, a name isn’t just branding—it’s safety, market share, and sometimes, a courtroom battle.