Acetaminophen
/api/v1/drug/acetaminophenMechanism of action
Sourced from openFDAMechanism-of-action class: Prostaglandin Receptor Antagonists.
Indications
Sourced from openFDA- Uses temporarily relieves minor aches and pains due to: headache the common cold backache minor pain of arthritis toothache muscular aches premenstrual and menstrual cramps temporarily reduces feverICD-10: J00, R50.9, R51.9
Dosage & administration
Sourced from openFDADirections do not take more than directed adults and children 12 years and over take 2 gelcaps every 6 hours while symptoms last do not take more than 6 gelcaps in 24 hours, unless directed by a doctor do not take for more than 10 days unless directed by a doctor children under 12 years: ask a doctor
Warnings & precautions
Sourced from openFDALiver warning: This product contains acetaminophen. Severe liver damage may occur if you take more than 4,000 mg of acetaminophen in 24 hours with other drugs containing acetaminophen 3 or more alcoholic drinks every day while using this product Allergy alert: Acetaminophen may cause severe skin reactions. Symptoms may include: skin reddening blisters rash If a skin reaction occurs, stop use and seek medical help right away. Do not use if you are allergic to acetaminophen or any of the inactive ingredients in this product with any other drug containing acetaminophen (prescription or nonprescription). If you are not sure whether a drug contains acetaminophen, ask a doctor or pharmacist. Ask a doctor before use if you have liver disease. Ask a doctor or pharmacist before use if you are taking the blood thinning drug warfarin. Stop use and ask a doctor if new symptoms occur pain gets worse or lasts more than 10 days fever gets worse or lasts more than 3 days redness or swelling is present These could be signs of a serious condition. If pregnant or breast-feeding, ask a health professional before use. Keep out of reach of children. In case of overdose, get medical help or contact a Poison Control Center right away. Prompt medical attention is critical for adults as well as for children even if you do not notice any signs or symptoms.
Approval history
Sourced from openFDA- Apr 22, 1980NDANDA018337Taro
- Jul 30, 1992NDANDA020232Actavis Labs Ut Inc
- Jun 8, 1994NDANDA019872Kenvue Brands
- Jan 14, 1998NDANDA020802Haleon Us Holdings
- Oct 28, 2015NDANDA204767Fresenius Kabi Usa
- Feb 23, 2018NDANDA208653Zevra Therap
- Feb 28, 2020NDANDA211733Haleon Us Holdings
- Jun 3, 2022NDANDA206968Hikma
FDA shortages
Reference statistics from the openFDA drug-shortage dataset. For a live view, consult the FDA database directly. Not clinical guidance.
- Acetaminophen; Oxycodone Hydrochloride, Tablet, 325 mg; 10 mg (NDC 60951-712-70)To be discontinuedSponsor: Endo Pharmaceuticals, Inc.Updated
- Acetaminophen; Oxycodone Hydrochloride, Tablet, 325 mg; 2.5 mg (NDC 60951-701-70)To be discontinuedSponsor: Endo Pharmaceuticals, Inc.Updated
- Acetaminophen; Oxycodone Hydrochloride, Tablet, 325 mg; 5 mg (NDC 60951-602-70)To be discontinuedSponsor: Endo Pharmaceuticals, Inc.Updated
- Acetaminophen; Oxycodone Hydrochloride, Tablet, 325 mg; 5 mg (NDC 60951-602-85)To be discontinuedSponsor: Endo Pharmaceuticals, Inc.Updated
- Acetaminophen; Oxycodone Hydrochloride, Tablet, 325 mg; 7.5 mg (NDC 60951-700-70)To be discontinuedSponsor: Endo Pharmaceuticals, Inc.Updated
FAERS reports
- 1Drug Ineffective51,4527.7%
- 2Pain48,8597.3%
- 3Fatigue44,9016.7%
- 4Nausea40,9816.1%
- 5Overdose40,4956.1%
- 6Drug Dependence39,1595.9%
- 7Off Label Use38,6085.8%
- 8Headache37,9025.7%
- 9Death36,2055.4%
- 10Diarrhoea31,6004.7%
- 11Dyspnoea30,1134.5%
- 12Toxicity To Various Agents27,5744.1%
- 13Vomiting27,4484.1%
- 14Arthralgia27,3714.1%
- 15Dizziness23,9613.6%
Literature
Recent PubMed references pinned to Acetaminophen as a MeSH major topic. Citations link to pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.
- Assessment of the acceptability of effervescent oxycodone/paracetamol in the management of moderate-to-severe pain: the FirAlgos study.European review for medical and pharmacological sciences · 2026 · Vellucci R, Tur E, Lepri A, et al.PMID 42237960DOI 10.26355/eurrev_202605_37822
- Astragaloside IV Ameliorates Acetaminophen-Induced Liver Injury via Targeting the PCK1/PPARG/RXRA-Mediated PPAR Signaling Pathway.Journal of biochemical and molecular toxicology · 2026 · Jiang S, Ren X, Gao X, et al.PMID 42237631DOI 10.1002/jbt.70942
- A commensal protozoan exacerbates acetaminophen-induced liver injury by producing free sphingosine.Gut microbes · 2026 · Yan X, Shen Y, Sun Q, et al.PMID 42231521DOI 10.1080/19490976.2026.2681811
- Carbon nitride supported copper catalyst activating peroxydisulfate for efficient paracetamol degradation.Journal of environmental sciences (China) · 2026 · Huang N, Xu YL, Wang WL, et al.PMID 42217868DOI 10.1016/j.jes.2025.09.021
- [A case of acetaminophen-induced cholestatic liver injury accompanying severe hypercholesterolemia in children].Zhonghua gan zang bing za zhi = Zhonghua ganzangbing zazhi = Chinese journal of hepatology · 2026 · Chen L, Gao XY, Liu XY, et al.PMID 42209165DOI 10.3760/cma.j.cn501113-20251013-00433
- US multicentre randomised controlled trial protocol: Comparing Analgesic Regimen Effectiveness and Safety after surgery trial for Kids (CARES for Kids).BMJ open · 2026 · Lee JS, Bicket MC, Mansfield SA, et al.PMID 42208996DOI 10.1136/bmjopen-2026-118728
- Die pränatale Paracetamol-Einnahme ist ohne negativen Einfluss auf die kindliche Entwicklung.Praxis · 2026 · Mäder S, Rosemann TPMID 42200389DOI 10.23785/PRAXIS.2026.05.001
- Genetically Predicted Use of Common Analgesics and Risk of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: A Bidirectional Mendelian Randomization Study.International journal of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease · 2026 · Chen G, You WPMID 42199875DOI 10.2147/COPD.S586858
Clinical trials
The 10 most recently updated of 2,049 ClinicalTrials.gov registrations naming Acetaminophen as an intervention. Registration is not evidence of efficacy or safety — reference crosswalk only.
- A Study to Evaluate Investigational Agents With or Without Pembrolizumab (MK-3475) in Participants With Advanced Esophageal Cancer Previously Exposed to Programmed Cell Death 1 Protein (PD-1)/ Programmed Cell Death Ligand 1 (PD-L1) Treatment (MK-3475-06B)Recruiting · Phase 1 · Phase 2 · Interventional · 230 enrolled · Merck Sharp & Dohme LLCNCT05319730updated 2026-06-12
- A Clinical Study of Gocatamig (MK-6070) and Infinatamab Deruxtecan (MK-2400) in People With Small Cell Lung Cancer (MK-6070-003)Recruiting · Phase 1 · Phase 2 · Interventional · 170 enrolled · Merck Sharp & Dohme LLCNCT07227597updated 2026-06-12
- Substudy 06E: Umbrella Study of Combination Therapies in Esophageal Cancer (MK-3475-06E/KEYMAKER-U06)Recruiting · Phase 1 · Phase 2 · Interventional · 298 enrolled · Merck Sharp & Dohme LLCNCT06780111updated 2026-06-12
- A Clinical Study of Sacituzumab Tirumotecan (MK-2870) in Patients With Bladder Cancer (MK-2870-027)Recruiting · Phase 1 · Phase 2 · Interventional · 32 enrolled · Merck Sharp & Dohme LLCNCT06637423updated 2026-06-12
- A Clinical Study of Sacituzumab Tirumotecan (MK-2870) in Combination With Pembrolizumab (MK-3475) as First-line Maintenance Treatment of Cervical Cancer (MK-2870-036/TroFuse-036/GOG-3123/ENGOT-cx22)Recruiting · Phase 3 · Interventional · 1,023 enrolled · Merck Sharp & Dohme LLCNCT07216703updated 2026-06-12
- A Study to Evaluate the Efficacy and Safety of Sacituzumab Tirumotecan (MK-2870) Maintenance Treatment Versus Standard of Care in Participants With Platinum-sensitive Recurrent Ovarian Cancer (MK-2870-022/TroFuse-022/ENGOT-ov84/GOG-3103)Recruiting · Phase 3 · Interventional · 770 enrolled · Merck Sharp & Dohme LLCNCT06824467updated 2026-06-12
- A Clinical Study of MK-1084 With Other Treatments for Non-small Cell Lung Cancer (MK-3475-01F)Recruiting · Phase 1 · Phase 2 · Interventional · 190 enrolled · Merck Sharp & Dohme LLCNCT07286149updated 2026-06-12
- Sacituzumab Tirumotecan (MK-2870) in Combination With Pembrolizumab Versus Pembrolizumab Alone in Metastatic Non-small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) With Programmed Cell Death Ligand 1 (PD-L1) Tumor Proportion Score (TPS) ≥ 50% (MK-2870-007)Recruiting · Phase 3 · Interventional · 614 enrolled · Merck Sharp & Dohme LLCNCT06170788updated 2026-06-12
- A Study of Sacituzumab Tirumotecan (Sac-TMT, MK-2870) as Monotherapy and in Combination With Pembrolizumab (MK-3475) in Participants With Triple-Negative Breast Cancer (MK-2870-011/TroFuse-011)Recruiting · Phase 3 · Interventional · 1,000 enrolled · Merck Sharp & Dohme LLCNCT06841354updated 2026-06-12
- Drug Provocation Test (DPT) to ParacetamolCompleted · Observational · 498 enrolled · University Hospital, MontpellierNCT03771118updated 2026-06-12
Frequently asked questions
- How does Acetaminophen work?
- Mechanism-of-action class: Prostaglandin Receptor Antagonists.
- What is Acetaminophen used for?
- According to FDA labeling, Acetaminophen carries indications including: Uses temporarily relieves minor aches and pains due to: headache the common cold backache minor pain of arthritis toothache muscular aches premenstrual and menstrual cramps temporarily reduces fever. This is a reference summary of labeled uses, not medical advice or a treatment recommendation.
- What class of drug is Acetaminophen?
- Acetaminophen is classified as Anilides, Prostaglandin Receptor Antagonists, Central Nervous System Activity Alteration, Decreased Prostaglandin Production, Hypothalamic Endocrine Activity Alteration, Peripheral Nervous System Activity Alteration.
- What are the brand names for Acetaminophen?
- Acetaminophen is marketed under brand names including Acephen, Acetadryl, Allzital, Anabar, Anacin AF, Anacin Advanced Headache Formula, Apadaz, Arthriten Inflammatory Pain.
acetaminophen is illustrative MVP content compiled from public sources. pharmacopeia is for educational and informational use only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice.