Who Invented Tylenol?
Tylenol is the trademarked brand name of a pain relief drug with the main ingredient of acetaminophen. Preceded by aspirin, acetaminophen provides similar drug benefits, but with less risk of adverse side effects in children and those with ulcers. The history of acetaminophen dates back to the 19th century, but it wasn't marketed in its familiar form until the 1950s.
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Origins
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Acetaminophen or paracetamol was first synthesized by Harmon Northrop Morse in 1877. However, it was not used for the treatment of pain and headaches until much later. In 1948, Bernard Brodie and Julius Axelrod released a paper titled "The Estimation of Acetanilide and Its Metabolic Products, Aniline, N-Acetyl P-Aminophenol and P-Aminophenol (Free and Total Conjugated) in Biological Fluids and Tissues" in the Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics which held that paracetamol served well as a pain reliever.
Sterling-Winthrop Co.
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In 1953, Sterling-Winthrop Co., which was later known as Sterling Drug, began marketing paracetamol as an alternative to aspirin. Aspirin, which was previously Sterling's biggest seller, tended to cause inflammation of the stomach. Paracetamol was marketed as a pain reliever that did not cause such irritation
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McNeil Laboratories
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According to a company history of McNeil Laboratories written by Nancy West, McNeil introduced Tylenol Elixir for Children in 1955. The product was the first Tylenol-branded product and became the nation's best selling analgesic. A July 2008 Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Training publication indicated that Tylenol derived its name from para-acetylaminophenol, the name of the chemical compound that makes up acetaminophen.
Johnson & Johnson
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According to the press release from June 1997, McNeil was acquired in 1959 by Johnson & Johnson, which now owns the Tylenol trademark.
Misconceptions
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Tylenol is a brand name, rather than the name of a drug. Numerous other companies now manufacture pain relievers using acetaminophen. Furthermore, other drugs use a combination of pain relievers, including acetaminophen in their products. You can often find generic acetaminophen labeled simply as "acetaminophen."
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