International Nonproprietary Name

International Nonproprietary Name (INN) is a unique name that is globally recognized and is public property. A nonproprietary name is also known as a generic name. The World Health Organization (WHO) has the responsibility of assigning INNs to pharmaceutical substances.

Overview

The INN system was established in 1950 by the World Health Assembly and the first list of International Nonproprietary Names for pharmaceutical substances was published in 1953. The main purpose of the INN system is to provide health professionals with a unique and universally available designated name to identify each pharmaceutical substance. The use of INNs is intended to reduce the risks that may arise from the confusing plethora of proprietary names for pharmaceuticals.

Naming Process

The process of assigning an INN begins with a proposal submitted to the WHO. The proposal undergoes a review by experts in pharmacology, chemistry, and other relevant fields. The proposed name must meet certain criteria, such as being distinctive in sound and spelling, not being confusable with other names, and not having any inappropriate connotations. Once the name is approved, it is published in the WHO Drug Information publication, and is open for comments or objections for a period of four months. If no objections are raised, the name becomes an official INN and is added to the "List of Proposed INNs".

Structure of INNs

INNs often consist of a "prefix", a "stem", and a "suffix". The "stem" often indicates the class of medication, for example, "-pril" is a stem used in names of ACE inhibitors like enalapril and lisinopril. The "prefix" is usually unique to the specific compound and is used to distinguish it from other drugs in the same class. The "suffix", if present, can provide additional information about the drug, such as its salt form.

Importance of INNs

INNs facilitate the identification of pharmaceutical substances or active pharmaceutical ingredients. Each INN is a unique name that is globally recognized and is used universally for public health purposes. They enable clear communication among health professionals and scientists worldwide, and are used to identify the active ingredients in medicines, thus reducing medication errors.

See Also

• Pharmacology
• Medication
• World Health Organization