Everyone’s favorite bracket challenge has returned. That’s right—it’s time once again for Fierce Pharma Marketing’s annual #FierceMadness tournament.
In tandem with the college basketball March Madness competition, we join in on the bracket craze every spring to uncover standout drug marketing moves. Last year, we homed in on TV drug ads—with Apellis Pharmaceuticals’ Syfovre spot starring Henry Winkler ultimately edging out a commercial for AstraZeneca’s Airsupra in the nail-biting final—and this year, we’re back to watching newly minted drug names go head-to-head.
It all starts now, with 64 pharmaceutical brand names facing off in the first round. All of the medications were approved by the FDA in 2024 or 2025, picking up where our last drug name competition left off. That March 2024 bracket ended up with AstraZeneca and Ionis’ Wainua taking the crown over Eli Lilly’s Mounjaro.
Vote now for your favorite names—whether that means the most fun to say, the most bizarrely consonant-heavy, the most surprisingly normal-sounding or however else you define “favorite”—in the first round here until Friday, March 20, at 12 p.m. ET. You can share any thoughts about each matchup in their respective comment boxes; we may include (anonymous) snippets of your opinions here as the tournament progresses.
Check back here Monday to see the first round winners and cast your votes in the Round of 32.
We’ll continue updating the bracket every few days until the champion is announced April 8. Please play fair: only one submission per person per round.
Check out the bracket and more information about each of the 64 starting challengers below, and cast your votes here.
Let the Madness begin!
Fierce Madness 2026—Round of 64 challengers:
Miplyffa vs. Ojemda
Miplyffa
Maker: Zevra Therapeutics
Indication: Niemann-Pick disease type C
Ojemda
Maker: Day One Biopharmaceuticals
Indication: Relapsed or refractory pediatric low-grade glioma harboring a BRAF fusion or rearrangement, or BRAF V600 mutation
Zegfrovy vs. Ohtuvayre
Zegfrovy
Maker: Dizal Pharmaceutical
Indication: Locally advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer with EGFR exon 20 insertion mutations, with disease progression on or after platinum-based chemotherapy
Ohtuvayre
Maker: Merck
Indication: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Vizz vs. Anzupgo
Vizz
Maker: Lenz Therapeutics
Indication: Age-related blurry near vision (presbyopia)
Anzupgo
Maker: Leo Pharma
Indication: Moderate to severe chronic hand eczema not adequately treated by topical corticosteroids
Nuzolvence vs. PiaSky
Nuzolvence
Maker: Innoviva
Indication: Uncomplicated urogenital gonorrhea
PiaSky
Maker: Roche
Indication: Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria
Modeyso vs. Aucatzyl
Modeyso
Maker: Jazz Pharmaceuticals
Indication: Diffuse midline glioma harboring an H3 K27M mutation with progressive disease following prior therapy
Aucatzyl
Maker: Autolus Therapeutics
Indication: Relapsed or refractory B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia
Palsonify vs. Gomekli
Palsonify
Maker: Crinetics Pharmaceuticals
Indication: Acromegaly that can’t be or wasn’t effectively treated by surgery
Gomekli
Maker: SpringWorks Therapeutics
Indication: Neurofibromatosis type 1 with symptomatic plexiform neurofibromas not amenable to complete resection
Winrevair vs. Rezdiffra
Winrevair
Maker: Merck
Indication: Pulmonary arterial hypertension
Rezdiffra
Maker: Madrigal Pharmaceuticals
Indication: Noncirrhotic metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis with moderate to advanced liver fibrosis
Journavx vs. Imdelltra
Journavx
Maker: Vertex Pharmaceuticals
Indication: Moderate to severe short-term (acute) pain, including postoperative pain
Imdelltra
Maker: Amgen
Indication: Extensive stage small cell lung cancer with disease progression on or after platinum-based chemotherapy
Kebilidi vs. Lynozyfic
Kebilidi
Maker: PTC Therapeutics
Indication: Aromatic L-amino acid decarboxylase deficiency
Lynozyfic
Maker: Regeneron Pharmaceuticals
Indication: Relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma that has been treated with at least four prior lines of therapy, including a proteasome inhibitor, an immunomodulatory agent and an anti-CD38 monoclonal antibody
Anktiva vs. Voyxact
Anktiva
Maker: ImmunityBio
Indication: Bacillus Calmette-Guérin-unresponsive non-muscle invasive bladder cancer with carcinoma in situ with or without papillary tumors
Voyxact
Maker: Otsuka Pharmaceutical
Indication: Reduction of proteinuria in adults with primary immunoglobulin A nephropathy at risk for disease progression
Redemplo vs. Anniko
Redemplo
Maker: Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals
Indication: Familial chylomicronemia syndrome
Anniko
Maker: Akeso
Indication: Recurrent or metastatic non-keratinizing nasopharyngeal carcinoma
Tryngolza vs. Sephience
Tryngolza
Maker: Ionis Pharmaceuticals
Indication: Familial chylomicronemia syndrome
Sephience
Maker: PTC Therapeutics
Indication: Sepiapterin-responsive phenylketonuria
Yartemlea vs. Lazcluze
Yartemlea
Maker: Omeros
Indication: Hematopoietic stem cell transplant-associated thrombotic microangiopathy
Lazcluze
Maker: Johnson & Johnson
Indication: Locally advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer with EGFR exon 19 deletions or exon 21 L858R substitution mutations
Komzifti vs. Wayrilz
Komzifti
Maker: Kura Oncology
Indication: Relapsed or refractory acute myeloid leukemia with a susceptible NPM1 mutation and no satisfactory alternative treatment options
Wayrilz
Maker: Sanofi
Indication: Persistent or chronic immune thrombocytopenia that had an insufficient response to a previous treatment
Datroway vs. Cobenfy
Datroway
Maker: AstraZeneca and Daiichi Sankyo
Indication: Locally advanced or metastatic EGFR-mutated non-small cell lung cancer previously treated with EGFR-directed therapy and platinum-based chemotherapy; unresectable or metastatic HR-positive, HER2-negative breast cancer previously treated with endocrine-based therapy and chemotherapy
Cobenfy
Maker: Bristol Myers Squibb
Indication: Schizophrenia
Xolremdi vs. Voranigo
Xolremdi
Maker: X4 Pharmaceuticals
Indication: WHIM (warts, hypogammaglobulinemia, infections and myelokathexis) syndrome
Voranigo
Maker: Servier
Indication: Grade 2 astrocytoma or oligodendroglioma with a susceptible IDH1 or IDH2 mutation, following surgery
Brinsupri vs. Orlynvah
Brinsupri
Maker: Insmed
Indication: Non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis
Orlynvah
Maker: Iterum Therapeutics
Indication: Uncomplicated urinary tract infections with limited or no alternative oral antibacterial treatment options
Crenessity vs. Nemluvio
Crenessity
Maker: Neurocrine Biosciences
Indication: Classic congenital adrenal hyperplasia
Nemluvio
Maker: Galderma
Indication: Prurigo nodularis and moderate to severe atopic dermatitis not adequately controlled with topical prescription therapies
Lerochol vs. Jascayd
Lerochol
Maker: LIB Therapeutics
Indication: Hypercholesterolemia
Jascayd
Maker: Boehringer Ingelheim
Indication: Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis; progressive pulmonary fibrosis
Imaavy vs. Unloxcyt
Imaavy
Maker: Johnson & Johnson
Indication: Generalized myasthenia gravis in anti-AChR or anti-MuSK antibody positive patients
Unloxcyt
Maker: Sun Pharma
Indication: Metastatic or locally advanced cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma not eligible for curative surgery or curative radiation
Tryptyr vs. Ebglyss
Tryptyr
Maker: Alcon
Indication: Dry eye disease
Ebglyss
Maker: Eli Lilly
Indication: Moderate to severe eczema not well controlled with prescription topical therapies
Attruby vs. Exdensur
Attruby
Maker: BridgeBio Pharma
Indication: Cardiomyopathy of wild-type or variant transthyretin-mediated amyloidosis
Exdensur
Maker: GSK
Indication: Severe asthma characterized by an eosinophilic phenotype
Lenmeldy vs. Cardamyst
Lenmeldy
Maker: Orchard Therapeutics
Indication: Presymptomatic late infantile, presymptomatic early juvenile or early symptomatic early juvenile metachromatic leukodystrophy
Cardamyst
Maker: Milestone Pharmaceuticals
Indication: Paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia
Ibtrozi vs. Rhapsido
Ibtrozi
Maker: Nuvation Bio
Indication: Locally advanced or metastatic ROS1-positive non-small cell lung cancer
Rhapsido
Maker: Novartis
Indication: Chronic spontaneous urticaria in patients who remain symptomatic despite H1 antihistamine treatment
Qfitlia vs. Bizengri
Qfitlia
Maker: Sanofi
Indication: Hemophilia A or B with or without factor VIII or IX inhibitors
Bizengri
Maker: Merus
Indication: Advanced, unresectable or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer or advanced, unresectable or metastatic pancreatic adenocarcinoma, both harboring an NRG1 gene fusion with disease progression on or after prior systemic therapy
Vyloy vs. Zevaskyn
Vyloy
Maker: Astellas Pharma
Indication: Locally advanced unresectable or metastatic HER2-negative gastric or gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma with CLDN18.2-positive tumors
Zevaskyn
Maker: Abeona Therapeutics
Indication: Recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa
Ziihera vs. Revuforj
Ziihera
Maker: Jazz Pharmaceuticals
Indication: Previously treated, unresectable or metastatic HER2-positive biliary tract cancer
Revuforj
Maker: Syndax Pharmaceuticals
Indication: Relapsed or refractory acute leukemia with a KMT2A translocation; relapsed or refractory acute myeloid leukemia with a susceptible NPM1 mutation and no satisfactory alternative treatment options
Kisunla vs. Hernexeos
Kisunla
Maker: Eli Lilly
Indication: Alzheimer’s disease
Hernexeos
Maker: Boehringer Ingelheim
Indication: Unresectable or metastatic non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer in patients whose tumors have HER2 TKD activating mutations and who have received prior systemic therapy
Blujepa vs. Alyftrek
Blujepa
Maker: GSK
Indication: Uncomplicated urinary tract infections; uncomplicated urogenital gonorrhea with limited or no alternative treatment options
Alyftrek
Maker: Vertex Pharmaceuticals
Indication: Cystic fibrosis with at least one F508del mutation or another responsive mutation in the CFTR gene
Yorvipath vs. Dawnzera
Yorvipath
Maker: Ascendis Pharma
Indication: Hypoparathyroidism
Dawnzera
Maker: Ionis Pharmaceuticals
Indication: Hereditary angioedema
Lynkuet vs. Voydeya
Lynkuet
Maker: Bayer
Indication: Moderate to severe vasomotor symptoms due to menopause
Voydeya
Maker: AstraZeneca
Indication: Extravascular hemolysis in patients with paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria
Itovebi vs. Aqneursa
Itovebi
Maker: Roche
Indication: Endocrine-resistant, PIK3CA-mutated, HR-positive, HER2-negative, locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer, following recurrence on or after completing adjuvant endocrine therapy
Aqneursa
Maker: IntraBio
Indication: Niemann-Pick disease type C
