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International Nonproprietary Names
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Guidance
International Nonproprietary Names (INN) facilitate the identification of pharmaceutical substances or active pharmaceutical ingredients. Each INN is a unique name that is globally recognized and is public property. A nonproprietary name is also known as a generic name.
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General guidance
Mandate
WHO has a constitutional mandate to "develop, establish and promote international standards with respect to biological, pharmaceutical and similar products".
The World Health Organization collaborates closely with INN experts and national nomenclature committees to select a single name of worldwide acceptability for each active substance that is to be marketed as a pharmaceutical. To avoid confusion, which could jeopardize the safety of patients, trade-marks should neither be derived from INNs nor contain common stems used in INNs.
The selection and publication of INNs falls under the responsibility of the HTP/PSM/QSM team of the INN Programme.
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Information
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INN consultations and meetings
Requesting an INN
Selection process of INNs
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Full text
To apply for a new INN, please use the INN Request Form
INN request [doc 62kb]
To select an appropriate stem
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More information
Published INN Lists
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Recommended and Proposed INN Lists
All INN publications
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More information
Biosimilars
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More information
Online access to INN data
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Request access to MedNet-INN
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Member link to MedNet-INN
Promotion of INN and collaborations
Read more...
Enquiries
For information on INN, please contact the innprogramme@who.int
Dr R. Balocco Mattavelli
World Health Organization
1211 Geneva 27
Switzerland
Fax: +41 22 791 47 30
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