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paracetamol (paracetamol, EFVDAS)

✓ Approved

Elan · PTGS1 · Small Molecule

What is paracetamol?

paracetamol is a small molecule developed by Elan. It is approved for therapeutic indications via oral (po).

Drug Profile

Brand Namesparacetamol, EFVDAS
CompanyElan
Drug ClassSmall Molecule
Molecular TargetPTGS1, PTGS2
RouteOral (PO)
StatusApproved
Sources: ClinicalTrials.gov, Elan

Mechanism of Action

Molecular Targets

paracetamol acts on 2 molecular targets:

PTGS1prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase 1 (COX3, PCOX1)
PTGS2prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase 2 (GRIPGHS, hCox-2)
Want deeper analysis?Noah AI can explain complex mechanisms and compare to similar drugs.

Therapeutic Indications

paracetamol is developed for 1 unique indication across 1 therapeutic area.

Therapeutic AreaConditionPhase
Gastrointestinal disordersAbdominal pain✓ Approved

Related Research Articles

PubMedJournal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry2026-08-28

Prescription Use of Paracetamol During Pregnancy and Risk of Autism Spectrum Disorder and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in Early Childhood.

Gram Erika B EB, Lund Lars Christian LC, Jensen Peter Bjødstrup PB, Hallas Jesper J et al.

Paracetamol is the drug of choice for treating pain and fever during pregnancy. Concerns exist regarding risk of neurodevelopmental disorders in prenatally exposed offspring, especially autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Since September 2,013, most paracetamol sales are prescription-based in Denmark, enabling investigation in a population-based setting. We investigated the association between prescription-based paracetamol use during pregnancy and the risk of clinically diagnosed ASD and ADHD detected in early childhood among exposed offspring. We included all singleton children live-born between 01 October 2,014 and 31 December 2,021, and their linked mothers using Danish nationwide health registers. Exposure was defined as ≥1 prescriptions redeemed for paracetamol during pregnancy. Children were followed until 6 years of age or the end of the study period (31 December 2,022). Using a triangulation approach, we compared i) exposed children to unexposed children, ii) exposed children to children of mothers who redeemed prescriptions before - but not during - pregnancy, and iii) used a paternal negative-exposure group. Adjusted risk ratios (aRR) for ASD and ADHD at 6 years of age among exposed children compared to unexposed were 1.15 (95% CI 0.96-1.39) and 1.09 (95% CI 0.85-1.40), respectively. No increased risks were observed when comparing to children of mothers redeeming prescriptions before - but not during - pregnancy (aRR 1.01 (95% CI 0.76-1.32) and (aRR 1.01 (95% CI 0.67-1.53)), suggesting confounding by underlying maternal illness. In the paternal negative-exposure group, aRRs were similar (ASD: 1.06 (95% CI, 0.88-1.28)) and slightly higher (ADHD: 1.23 (95% CI, 0.96-1.58)) to the primary estimates, the latter suggesting unmeasured familial confounding. Our findings suggest that prenatal exposure to prescription-based paracetamol is unlikely to confer a clinically meaningful increased risk of ASD or ADHD diagnosed by 6 years of age. Due to limited follow-up time, our findings only apply to early-diagnosed neurodevelopmental disorders which are likely to be the more severe cases.

PMID 42660286
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PubMedBritish journal of anaesthesia2026-08-28

Carbon footprint of anaesthesia pharmaceuticals and disposable products during Caesarean delivery: a single-centre prospective observational study.

Kouwenberg Lisanne H J A LHJA, Demir Melisa M, van Bodegraven Lisa L, Colenbrander Elisabeth C A ECA et al.

The healthcare sector, particularly surgical care, is a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. This study aimed to investigate the carbon footprint of anaesthesia during Caesarean delivery, considering the impact of disposable products and pharmaceuticals, to identify environmental hotspots. A prospective observational study was conducted in a Dutch tertiary hospital, based on 50 Caesarean deliveries between July and October 2025. The carbon footprint of anaesthesia pharmaceuticals and disposable products was calculated using estimated kilograms of carbon dioxide equivalents (kg CO2-eq) from life-cycle assessment data and for pharmaceuticals using active pharmaceutical ingredients from life-cycle inventory data. The mean carbon footprint of anaesthesia pharmaceuticals and disposable products was 5.6 kg CO2-eq per Caesarean delivery. Disposables accounted for 80% (4.5 kg CO2-eq) of the total footprint. The prepackaged neuraxial tray, syringes, and warming blanket were the largest contributors, and ∼4% of the impact stemmed from unused disposable products. Pharmaceuticals contributed 1.1 kg CO2-eq, with i.v. fluids, cefazolin, and i.v. paracetamol being the highest. Disposable products were the main contributor to the carbon footprint of anaesthesia during Caesarean delivery. Addressing unnecessary use of disposable products is an achievable goal for reducing emissions. In addition, minimising wasted pharmaceuticals or unused disposable products is important, given that they significantly amplify the carbon footprint without providing clinical benefit.

PMID 42665486
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PubMedComparative biochemistry and physiology. Toxicology & pharmacology : CBP2026-08-28

Acetaminophen-induced developmental neurobehavioral and sensory organ toxicity in zebrafish.

Wang Huan H, Chen Chaobao C, Onoo Shuta S, Yuge Mizuki M et al.

Acetaminophen (APAP) also known as paracetamol, is the only antipyretic and analgesic agent that can be administered to pregnant women. In addition to hepatotoxicity in cases of an overdose, the developmental neurotoxicity of APAP has been reported in model organisms. In this study, developing zebrafish were used to assess the neurotoxic effects of waterborne APAP exposure (0.039-2.5 mM). At 120 hpf, the spontaneous swimming distance was significantly reduced at all tested APAP concentrations under alternating light-dark conditions. Touch-evoked escape velocity, which assesses the motor function, was not significantly affected at any concentration and it increased at moderate APAP doses. The optokinetic response was only reduced at 2.5 mM APAP concentrations, suggesting that the decrease in spontaneous swimming at low APAP doses is unlikely to be due to motor or visual impairments. Vibration-evoked responses, indicative of the sensory function, were slightly but significantly diminished at 0.625 and 2.5 mM APAP concentrations. At 72 h post-fertilization (hpf), acridine orange and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL) staining showed that exposure to 2.5 mM APAP resulted in regulated cell death in the cerebellum, retina, and dorsal trunk. Some APAP-induced cell death in the dorsal trunk was confirmed to be of neuronal origin using Tg(eno2:Cerulean) transgenic zebrafish. N-acetylcysteine, a well-known antioxidant and antidote for APAP toxicosis in humans, partially attenuated APAP-induced cell death. These results suggest that APAP induces developmental neurobehavioral and sensory organ toxicity in the absence of detectable regulated cell death under the present experimental conditions.

PMID 42665174
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PubMedWater research2026-08-28

In-Situ engineering of hierarchical ZIF@HOF heterostructures for efficient antibiotic degradation: Mechanistic insights from experimental and DFT studies.

Ahmad Ali A, Akram Naeem N, Tufail Muhammad Khurram MK, Yu Bing B et al.

The relentless release of pharmaceutical antibiotics into water bodies demands robust and reusable photocatalysts. Herein, a hierarchical ZIF-67@Co-HOF-x heterostructure is synthesized through the in-situ growth of ZIF-67 onto a pre-formed cobalt-based hydrogen-bonded organic framework (Co-HOF). Among the series, ZIF-67@Co-HOF-200 exhibits uniform dispersion, intimate interfacial contact, and enhanced charge separation, as demonstrated by XRD, FTIR, SEM-EDS, TEM, XPS, PL, EIS, and TGA analyses. DFT calculations further reveal strong interfacial electronic coupling, with CDD, ELF, and Bader analyses confirming charge redistribution across the ZIF-67/Co-HOF interface. Compared with pristine components, the heterostructure exhibits enhanced visible-light absorption with a narrowed band gap of 2.01 eV, suppressed photoluminescence, and reduced charge-transfer resistance. Under optimized conditions (pH 7, catalyst dosage 0.5 g L⁻¹, and initial TCH concentration of 20 ppm), ZIF-67@Co-HOF-200 achieves 98% TCH degradation within 60 min following pseudo-first-order kinetics (k = 0.06,144 min⁻¹). The catalyst also demonstrates excellent versatility toward paracetamol, methyl orange, and Congo red, while maintaining 79% TCH removal efficiency under simulated wastewater conditions. Molecular interaction calculations further reveal favorable TCH and O₂ accessibility at the heterointerface, supporting efficient pollutant degradation and ROS generation. The catalyst retains 94% of its initial activity after four consecutive cycles, demonstrating excellent stability. Mechanistic investigations identify O₂•⁻ and h⁺ as dominant reactive species during degradation. This work provides a rational strategy for constructing MOF/HOF heterostructures with enhanced interfacial charge regulation for visible-light-driven wastewater remediation.

PMID 42664815
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PubMedDrug and alcohol dependence reports2026-08-28

Risks and mitigations of substance use disorders with dental procedures-related opioid prescriptions: A systematic review.

Mikaelyan Ruben R, Alvarado Alex A, Kunzel Carol C, Luo Sean X SX

Dental opioid prescriptions remain one of the most common initial exposures to opioids worldwide. Although opioid prescribing in dentistry has declined, even limited exposure to opioids may be a significant risk factor for developing Opioid Use Disorder (OUD), particularly in younger populations. This review evaluates the existing literature on dental opioid prescriptions and the development of OUD, identifies procedural and patient-related risk factors, and assesses the effectiveness of existing intervention strategies. Following the PRISMA guidelines, a comprehensive literature search was conducted across MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, Web of Science, and CENTRAL from January 2011 to July 2026. Eligible studies examined opioid prescribing in dental alveolar surgeries, related OUD/SUD outcomes, and preventative interventions. From an initial 1008 identified records, 12 studies met the final inclusion criteria for qualitative synthesis. Observational studies showed that factors significantly associated with persistent opioid use or adverse outcomes included higher prescribed opioid doses, prior substance use disorder, public or Medicaid insurance, younger age, female sex, and complex chronic medical conditions. Notably, patients undergoing low-pain dental procedures who received opioids demonstrated the highest relative risk for short-term persistent use. Five studies evaluated interventions, finding that short behavioral counseling and opioid-sparing pharmacologic strategies, specifically liposomal bupivacaine and preemptive intravenous paracetamol, effectively reduced postoperative opioid consumption. However, none of the included intervention studies had sufficient follow-up to evaluate the direct prevention of clinical OUD. Future research should prioritize prospective longitudinal studies and randomized controlled trials to evaluate interventions that safely reduce opioid exposure and definitively prevent OUD following dental procedures.

PMID 42662887
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PubMedChildren (Basel, Switzerland)2026-08-27

The Effect of Antenatal Paracetamol on Breathing Effort of Premature Infants at Birth: A Feasibility Trial.

Panneflek Timothy J R TJR, Dekker Janneke J, Kuypers Kristel L A M KLAM, Derleth Douglas P DP et al.

Background: Prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) suppresses perinatal breathing. Reducing antenatal PGE2 concentrations with paracetamol could stimulate spontaneous breathing in premature infants at birth. We aimed to assess feasibility and potential effects of antenatal paracetamol. Methods: In this randomised, placebo-controlled, triple-blind feasibility trial, pregnant women <31 weeks' gestation were randomised to receive either intravenous paracetamol (intervention) or placebo (control). Multiple pregnancies were also eligible, and the number of infants could exceed the number of enrolled women. The primary outcome was feasibility of administering study medication within 30-120 min prior to birth. Secondary exploratory outcomes included measures of breathing and other physiological parameters of infants during the first 1-10 min after birth and were compared between infants from mothers who received paracetamol and infants from mothers who received a placebo irrespective of timing of administration. Planned enrolment was 40 women. Results: The trial enrolled 23 women before termination due to low recruitment. Five women did not receive study medication, while 18 did (9 per group). Overall, 11 of the 23 enrolled women (48%) received study medication within the specified timeframe. The nine women in the intervention group gave birth to 13 infants, while the nine women in the control group gave birth to 12 infants. Among infants, average minute volume did not differ significantly between groups (intervention (n = 13) vs. control (n = 12); mean ± SEM; 147 ± 12 vs. 114 ± 14 mL/kg/min, p = 0.093). However, the intervention group had a significantly higher area under the curve for minute volume, greater inspiratory drive, and a higher heart rate (1120 ± 410 vs. 707 ± 346 mL/kg, p = 0.020; 11.8 ± 1.0 vs. 8.4 ± 1.3 mL/kg/breath/s, p = 0.046; 137 ± 5 vs. 121 ± 5 beats/min, p = 0.037). Conclusions: Antenatal paracetamol administration 30-120 min prior to birth was feasible in only half of the women, below the pre-specified threshold of 80%, but the exploratory findings suggest that it may improve the breathing effort of premature infants.

PMID 42650399
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