General principles for guidance in devising international nonproprietary names for pharmaceutical substances

INN General principles

31 December 2013

| Publication

1. International Nonproprietary Names (INN) should be distinctive in sound and

spelling. They should not be inconveniently long and should not be liable to

confusion with names in common use.

2. The INN for a substance belonging to a group of pharmacologically related

substances should, where appropriate, show this relationship. Names that are

likely to convey to a patient an anatomical, physiological, pathological or

therapeutic suggestion should be avoided.

WHO Team

INN and Classification of Medical Products (INN)

Number of pages

Reference numbers

WHO Reference Number: WHO/EDM/QSM/2004.5