Tylenol Demand Rises on Fears Other Painkillers Could Worsen Coronavirus
March 19 2020 - 4:32PM
Dow Jones News
By Peter Loftus and Katie Camero
Demand for Tylenol over-the-counter medicine is so strong that
some stores are running out of supplies, according to the
painkiller's maker Johnson & Johnson, which is now boosting
production.
Demand started to surge about three weeks ago, as people have
sought out Tylenol to reduce fever and relieve pain associated with
the new coronavirus or have stocked up in case they get sick,
Kathleen Widmer, head of J&J's North American consumer health
business, said in an interview.
The uptick might be driven by reports, including a warning from
France's health ministry, that the use of alternative painkillers
might worsen new coronavirus infections. The alternative
painkillers, belonging to a class known as nonsteroidal
anti-inflammatory drugs, often contain ingredients like
ibuprofen.
Ibuprofen is known to reduce any inflammation found in the body,
which may be needed to fight an infection, according to Bindu
Akkanti, an associate professor in pulmonology with McGovern
Medical School at UTHealth in Houston. Yet there hasn't been
scientific evidence showing that ibuprofen worsened French
patients' symptoms, Dr. Akkanti said.
The World Health Organization doesn't recommend against the use
of ibuprofen for those showing symptoms of Covid-19 -- the disease
caused by the novel coronavirus -- despite rumors circulating on
social media and other news outlets saying otherwise.
To satisfy demand, J&J has responded by making
"unprecedented levels of supply" at plants in Puerto Rico and
Pennsylvania, Ms. Widmer said. The company has also prioritized
Tylenol formulations that can be made more quickly, such as
caplets, over those that take longer, such as rapid-release gels,
Ms. Widmer said.
In light of limited data, some scientists urge against overusing
Tylenol because the drug in excess can cause liver damage.
Write to Peter Loftus at peter.loftus@wsj.com and Katie Camero
at katie.camero@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
March 19, 2020 16:17 ET (20:17 GMT)
Copyright (c) 2020 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
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