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Scope of USAN

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United States Adopted Names (USAN) will be provided for:

  • small molecule drugs
  • biotechnology drugs including monoclonal antibodies, therapeutic vaccines, proteins and peptides, DNA, RNA, nucleoside and nucleotide therapies
  • gene therapies
  • cellular therapies
  • other biological substances deemed appropriate to be assigned a USAN by the USAN Council
  • contact lens materials
  • active ingredients in sunscreens
  • veterinary products intended to control diseases in animals
  • the base, salt, solvate or ester, or other chemical derivative of a substance that has received a USAN

United States Adopted Names (USAN) will not be provided for:

  • mixtures that do not have an IND number or do not require approval for human use by the FDA
  • drug delivery mechanisms
  • excipients alone
  • prophylactic vaccines
  • product formulations* (emulsions, suspensions, etc.)
  • medical devices
  • manufacturing processes
  • combination drug products

*An exception to the above will only be authorized by the USAN Council if there is a clear and well-documented need such that assignment of a name promotes safety and advances the Council's nomenclature principles.

Last updated:May 06, 2008
Content provided by: USAN