International nonproprietary name in the context of "Generic drug"

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⭐ Core Definition: International nonproprietary name

An international nonproprietary name (INN) is an official generic and nonproprietary name given to a pharmaceutical substance or an active ingredient, encompassing compounds, peptides and low-molecular-weight proteins (e.g., insulin, hormones, cytokines), as well as complex biological products, such as those used for gene therapy. INNs are intended to make communication more precise by providing a unique standard name for each active ingredient, to avoid prescribing errors. The INN system was initiated by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 1953.

Having unambiguous standard names for each pharmaceutical substance (standardization of drug nomenclature) is important because a drug may be sold under many different brand names, or a branded medication may contain more than one drug. For example, the branded medications Celexa, Celapram and Citrol all contain the same active ingredient whose INN is citalopram. The antibacterial medication known as co-trimoxazole as well as those under the brand names Bactrim and Septran all contain two active ingredients easily recognisable by their INN: trimethoprim and sulfamethoxazole.

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👉 International nonproprietary name in the context of Generic drug

A generic drug is a pharmaceutical drug that contains the same chemical substance as a proprietary drug that was originally protected by chemical patents. Generic drugs are allowed for sale after the patents on the original drugs expire. Because the active chemical substance is the same, the medical profile of generics is equivalent in performance compared to their performance at the time when they were patented drugs. A generic drug has the same active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) as the original, but it may differ in some characteristics such as the manufacturing process, formulation, excipients, color, taste, and packaging.

Although they may not be associated with a particular company, generic drugs are usually subject to government regulations in the countries in which they are dispensed. They are labeled with the name of the manufacturer and a generic non-proprietary name such as the United States Adopted Name (USAN) or International Nonproprietary Name (INN) of the drug. A generic drug must contain the same active ingredients as the original brand-name formulation. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires generics to be identical to or within an acceptable bioequivalent range of their brand-name counterparts, with respect to pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties.

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International nonproprietary name in the context of Toluidine blue stain

Toluidine blue, also known as TBO or tolonium chloride (INN) is a blue cationic (basic) dye used in histology (as the toluidine blue stain) and sometimes clinically.

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International nonproprietary name in the context of Norepinephrine

Norepinephrine (NE), also called noradrenaline (NA) or noradrenalin, is an organic chemical in the catecholamine family that functions in the brain and body as a hormone, neurotransmitter and neuromodulator. The name "norepinephrine" (from Ancient Greek ἐπῐ́ (epí), "upon", and νεφρός (nephrós), "kidney") is usually preferred in the United States, whereas "noradrenaline" (from Latin ad, "near", and ren, "kidney") is more commonly used in the United Kingdom and the rest of the world. "Norepinephrine" is also the international nonproprietary name given to the drug. Regardless of which name is used for the substance itself, parts of the body that produce or are affected by it are referred to as noradrenergic.

The general function of norepinephrine is to mobilize the brain and body for action. Norepinephrine release is lowest during sleep, rises during wakefulness, and reaches much higher levels during situations of stress or danger, in the so-called fight-or-flight response. In the brain, norepinephrine increases arousal and alertness, promotes vigilance, enhances formation and retrieval of memory, and focuses attention; it also increases restlessness and anxiety. In the rest of the body, norepinephrine increases heart rate and blood pressure, triggers the release of glucose from energy stores, increases blood flow to skeletal muscle, reduces blood flow to the gastrointestinal system, and inhibits voiding of the bladder and gastrointestinal motility.

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International nonproprietary name in the context of Gamma-linolenic acid

γ-Linolenic acid or GLA (INN: gamolenic acid) is an n−6, or omega-6, fatty acid found primarily in seed oils. When acting on GLA, arachidonate 5-lipoxygenase produces no leukotrienes and the conversion by the enzyme of arachidonic acid to leukotrienes is inhibited.

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