To avoid confusion with another drug, the Food and Drug Administration has approved a name change request for the antidepressant Brintellix (vortioxetine), according to a press release.
In a Medwatch alert in July 2015, the FDA noted that prescribing and dispensing errors had occurred because of the similarity in names of Brintellix and the blood thinner Brilinta (ticagrelor). Because of the large difference in purpose between the two drugs, Brintellix manufacturer Takeda Pharmaceuticals has renamed the drug to Trintellix, expected to become available in June 2016.
No additional changes will be made to the label or packaging of Trintellix, and the medicine will not change. Drug information content publishers and medication-related electronic system administrators should note that Trintellix will receive a new National Drug Code number.
“Health care professionals should check carefully to make sure they have prescribed or dispensed the correct medicine. During the transition to the new name change from Brintellix to Trintellix, prescribers can reduce the risk of name confusion by including the generic name of the medication they are ordering, in addition to the brand name and indication for use,” the FDA said in its press release.