Essential medicines and health products
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.
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 EMP/RHT/TSN team of the INN Programme.
Promotion of INN and collaborations
For information on INN, please contact the
Dr R. Balocco Mattavelli
World Health Organization
1211 Geneva 27
Switzerland
Fax: +41 22 791 47 30
LATEST NEWS
Request for proposal for BQ impact assessment study
Deadline 25th February 2016
62nd INN consultation
The 62nd Consultation on International Nonproprietary Names (INN) for Pharmaceutical Substances will take place from: 12-15 April 2016.Deadlines for submissions:New INN requests Monday, 8th February 2016.Early submissions are encouraged and welcome.Outstanding INN requests Monday, 15th February 2016.
Countdown requests for 62nd INN Consultation : 0 request available!
The counter for new requests will start on January 8th 2016.
Training course on INN
2017 (to be confirmed)
Deadline for Expression of Interest (EOI) to be confirmed
Open Sessions with INN stakeholders (on 12th April 2016)
Deadline for Expression of Interest (EOI), LoP and presentations on 7th March 2016
INN publications
World Health Organization
International Nonproprietary Names
(EMP/RHT/TSN/INN)
20 Avenue Appia
1211, Geneva 27
Switzerland
+41 22 791 1249
Fax: +41 22 791 4730
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