Tylenol is the ‘big brand’ paracetamol in the USA.
With Panadol having brand recognition and Panamax a low cost alternative it remains to be seen if Tylenol gets a local foothold or goes the way of other American multinationals that try our market and give up if they don’t get instant gratification and top profits.
People may choose it thinking it is different from Panadol. Panadol has had some poor press recently with the study that says it is not effective for a number of pain conditions. They may not realise it is the same drug.
Too true. Yet similarly to the image for Tylenol, the local teams package with the [same] active ingredient very prominently displayed under the brand names on the front of the boxes. There is only so much help that can be provided for those not able to comprehend they are the same, save for the box and maybe the coatings or lack thereof.
In the mid 1990’s when I was running hospitals, Panadol was sold to us very cheaply, along with an advertising campaign “the one hospitals trust”. Nursing staff referred to Panadol by brand name rather than by active ingredient.
Decades later I still come across people who swear that Panadol is more effective than the generics of the same strength. The assessment is subjective and they are approaching the generic with an attitude that “this won’t work”. The paracetamol trial was closely aligned with the Panadol name, so I am guessing those with conditions for which it was designated “not effective” will change to Tylenol and “find relief”.
It will be interesting to see how they market the product. That may determine its market penetration.
Will it compete against Panadol at the ‘prestige’ end of the market, against Panamax at the ‘cheap & cheerful’ end, or somewhere in the middle?
Also what will the catch-phrase be to lure hopeful customers in? Will it target pain in specific parts of the body?
I have no doubt that the makers of Tylenol are past masters of smoke & mirrors.
There are a number of Tylenol Commercials immortalised on youtube. Paracetamol is also known as acetaminophen in the US, and what a surprise, on their side acetaminophen is also known as paracetamol.
Paracetamol generally fails to ease any pain I suffer; I need aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid) or ibuprofen.
Of course, diazepam also helps with some kinds of pain 
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I had to stop taking aspirin because of my frequent severe nosebleeds, and have subsequently found that soluble panadol works well (tastes disgusting but works, especially on my gouty pain) YMMV.
If the have a tablet form, I hope that it is much easier to extract the tablets from the blister packs than Panadol tablets, which almost require the use of a small knife.
