Pain killer; Drug side-effects.(Johnson & Johnson may finally have to admit that Tylenol can be a dangerous drug)(Brief Article)

Economist (US), The, September, 2002

Nothing's safer?

Its maker may finally have to admit that Tylenol can be a dangerous drug

AFTER 25 years of study, a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisory panel decided last week to recommend that acetaminophen, the active ingredient in Tylenol, America's most popular non-prescription drug, should carry an explicit warning about potential liver damage. "You cannot allow more innocent men, women and children to suffer," said Kate Trunk at the FDA hearing before the advisory panel's vote. Her son recently died from liver disease after taking an acetaminophen drug after injuring his wrist.

Even the possibility that a problem exists in acetaminophen came as a shock to many Americans, 55m of whom use Tylenol each year. Johnson & Johnson...

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