Tylenol
Tylenol is a popular brand of pain reliver and fever reducer. It is owned by Johnsons & Johnsons. The active ingredient in tylenol is acetaminophen. It is extremely popular in that it is effective with few side effects, it can still be hazadous in large quantities, however.There are a wide array of different varieties of Tylenol available today including extra-strneght, children's, longer-lasting, and sleep aiding.
The active ingeredient of Tylenol is no longer patented and the success of the drug are largely due to marketing and the backing of the massive Johnson & Johnson.
Tylenol was introduced in 1955 by J&J subsidiary McNeil Consumer Products Co. As one of the first alternatives to Asprin, which at that time was being shown to have some negative health effects. It was originally marketed mainly towards children, but soon came to dominate the North American pain-killer market.
On September 30, 1982, the Tyelnol scare began when the first of seven individuals died in metropolitan Chicago after ingesting Extra Strength Tylenol that contained cyanide2. While the crime was never solved and Tylenol sales tempraroly collapsed, the brand was rebuilt and had recovered in only a few years.
Today Tylenol reamins a top seller, controlling about 35% of the pain killer market.