International Nonproprietary Name
An International Nonproprietary Name (INN) is the official non-proprietary or generic name given to a pharmaceutical substance, as designated by the World Health Organization. The plethora of named proprietary preparations containing a given substance can lead to confusion about the identity of the active ingredient. INNs facilitate communication by providing a standard name for each substance. A similar role is played in chemistry by IUPAC names, however these are less suited to common usage, being typically very long and unwieldy.
Example
| INN: | Paracetamol |
| British Approved Name (BAN): | Paracetamol |
| United States Approved Name (USAN): | Acetaminophen |
| Other generic names: | N-acetyl-p-aminophenol, APAP, p-Acetamidophenol, Acetamol, ... |
| Proprietary names: | Tylenol®, Panadol®, Panamax®, Calpol®, ... |
| IUPAC name: | N-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-acetamide |
See also
External links
- INN information from the WHO (http://www.who.int/medicines/organization/qsm/activities/qualityassurance/inn/orginn.shtml)