Code recreates Pfizer's 1956 effort to procedurally generate drug names

boing
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The name you used was the IUPAC name, but IUPAC names are based on an algorithm that generates unique names for structures such that you can reconstruct the structure from the name. (Don’t get me started on IUPAC names, people don’t use them if they can avoid it.). There are any number of ways to refer to the molecule based on its moieties, and “para-acetominophenol” was once a more common way of referring to it, and is itself a contraction of “para-acetylaminophenol.” The origins of both names get a lot clearer with that information.

I know this by heart and have it firmly ingrained in my mind ever since I lost valuable points in an analytical chemistry lab assignment back in undergrad for failing to use the IUPAC name. I know it forwards and backwards now, and goddamnit I’m going to use that information if it kills me.

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One word: Spiralonormratiopharm.

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Dumbledore’s other brother. He had to turn in his wand and leave the wizarding world. It wasn’t safe for him to try to cast anything!

Hm. The Nine Billion Drugs of God.

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Yea: that stuff works like a charm! If only it was generic…

Mycoxafalin works as well as Mydixnorisin, and if anyone wants proff, I’ll be more than happy to share.

One of my fave antidpressants is Dammitol.

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Surely raunchyata should be in the unsafe for family medicine chest list.

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Thanks for that info. I’ve always wondered why those two drug names were so different but couldn’t be arsed looking into it. I’m from a paracetamol country :slight_smile:

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