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  WHO > Programmes and projects > Medicines > Services > International Nonproprietary Names

International Nonproprietary Names

International Nonproprietary Names

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.
:: 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 EMP/RHT/TSN/INN team of the INN Programme.


Dear INN Stakeholders,
As a result of cost increases and dollar rate exchange, and to permit the INN Secretariat to continue with the ongoing efforts to make the INN selection process more efficient, transparent and user-friendly, it has been decided to increase the user fee from US$ 9000 to US$ 12000 with immediate effect, that is for all new INN requests submitted to WHO as of 1 July 2014. Indeed in order to be able to continue covering part of the rising cost of the INN selection process, it has become apparent that the fee now needs to be increased to US$ 12000 (no other currency is accepted) for the processing of each new INN request submitted to WHO. ,
Thank you for your understanding,
INN Programme Secretariat
Dear INN Stakeholders,
In order for the INN name selection process to run smoothly, due to massive INN request submissions close to the deadline, the INN Experts proposed to limit the number of requests that will be accepted during the last month before the deadline. For this reason after the 13th January 2026 only the first 30 new requests regularly completed and submitted will be accepted for discussion during the next 82nd INN consultation. A counter will appear on the INN web site to show the number of requests still available. This procedure is aimed to strongly encourage early submissions and to give sufficient time to the Secretariat and the INN Expert Group to review properly the INN requests.
Thank you for your understanding,

INN Programme Secretariat

Requesting an INN

Selection process of INNs

:: Full text

To apply for a new INN using the on-line application, please use the INN Request Form

INN Request Form
INN request [pdf 2476kb]
Please, download the INN request form and open it using Acrobat Reader as a stand alone application!!

Mandatory additional information for Proteins (including monoclonal antibodies)


Mandatory additional information for Nucleic acid-based substances


Mandatory additional information for Cell-based therapies


User Manual for on-line application

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 4856/5853

Certificate for PDF

Certificate for Acrobat Reader (file crt)

MD5 hash -info and tools-

Certificate for PDF (text format only for verification porpouse)
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Contact information
World Health Organization
International Nonproprietary Names
(HPS/PSN/INN)
20 Avenue Appia
1211, Geneva 27
Switzerland
Tel: +41 22 791 1249
Fax: +41 22 791 4856/5853
Email: innprogramme@who.int





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