Pharmaceutical manufacturer William H. Rorer, Inc. introduced methaqualone to the American public as Quaalude in 1965. Rorer chose to exploit the brand recognition of their other top-selling product, Maalox, by incorporating the double a ("aa") into the Quaalude name. According to the American Heritage Dictionary, 4th edition, Quaalude is also thought to result from condensing the phrase "quiet interlude" in reference to the drug's sedative effect. Did the marketing strategy work? Quaaludes grew to become the sixth-most-popular prescription sedative before William H. Rorer, Inc. sold the trademark rights to the product and Quaalude name to pharmaceutical manufacturer Lemmon Company in 1978.