Reviewed by Michelle Bateson
Head of R&D, North America, KenvuePublished on February 05, 2026
Key Takeaways
TYLENOL® Has a Well-Established Safety Profile Supported by Scientific Research and Real-World Use: The active ingredient in TYLENOL®, acetaminophen, has been evaluated in hundreds of clinical studies, providing decades of research that reinforce its safety and effectiveness when used as directed.
TYLENOL® is Made with Uncompromising Quality Standards: TYLENOL® undergoes a meticulous clinical process, adhering to rigorous FDA-regulated development and testing at multiple stages.
TYLENOL® Innovates to Focus on Simplicity and Comfort: With unique innovations like stable suspension technology in its children’s pain relief products, TYLENOL® addresses practical challenges and is designed to support parents in dosing accurately when used as directed.
When someone in your family is hurting, you want relief you can trust. Parents think about safety hundreds of times a day, from car seats to lunchbox ingredients. Choosing a pain reliever is no different. You look for reassurance, knowing exactly what you’re giving your family, and that it’s been tested, verified, and cared for at every step.
That commitment to trust is at the center of our promise to you. “Parents should feel confident about what they bring into their homes,” said Michelle Bateson, Head of R&D, North America, Kenvue. With nearly 25 years of experience in leading and managing R&D from early research through product development and commercial launch, Bateson helps ensure every bottle of TYLENOL® meets the highest standards of science-backed innovation, testing, and care. “Our job is to make sure TYLENOL® earns that trust every single day.”
What does that mean? Bateson pulls back the curtain on what it really takes to make a medicine parents trust — the people, the processes, and the safety mindset behind every bottle.
The Science Behind a Trusted Ingredient
When families reach for a pain reliever, they want to know they are making the most appropriate choice, one backed by a safety story that began long before it reached your medicine cabinet.
Acetaminophen, the active ingredient in TYLENOL®, has been evaluated in hundreds of clinical studies over the past 70 years. That depth of research is what allows parents to act quickly and without hesitation, according to Bateson.
“TYLENOL® isn’t trusted because of one study or one moment in time,” she said. “It’s trusted because decades of research, review, and real-world data have reinforced the safety of acetaminophen again and again.”
Behind the scenes, teams of scientists, physicians, and safety experts continuously review new evidence, monitor real-world data, and apply those learnings to the development of TYLENOL®. This ongoing work helps ensure TYLENOL® stays aligned with evolving medical knowledge and the needs of families to give them confidence when they need it.
How TYLENOL® Ensures Safety from Development Forward
Long before a TYLENOL® product reaches a pharmacy shelf, safety is addressed at the earliest stages of research and development.
According to Bateson, R&D teams begin by asking fundamental questions: What is the right formulation for this age group? How will caregivers use it in real life? Where could confusion or misuse occur and how can we design around it?
“Our responsibility in R&D is to think beyond whether a product works,” Bateson said. “We have to think about how it will be used in busy homes, at night, when parents are tired or worried. And then we have to design products that support safe use.”
Clinical research, dosing studies, and safety evaluations help inform everything from formulation decisions to labeling. That development process is guided by regulatory standards and informed by decades of real-world experience with acetaminophen across different populations.
“Safety doesn’t start after a product is made,” Bateson said. “It starts with how the product is designed, tested and intended to be used.” This development-first approach helps ensure TYLENOL® products are designed with predictability, and family safety in mind.
Innovation Designed with Families in Mind
For Bateson, innovation is about identifying moments where families need more support and designing products that reduce uncertainty.
One of the most common challenges parents face is dosing liquid medicine accurately, especially for young children. In moments of stress, even simple steps can feel complicated, and caregivers want reassurance that each dose delivers what it’s supposed to.
That’s why TYLENOL® incorporates suspension technology into its liquid formulations. “Parents assume every dose is the same, and they should be able to,” Bateson said. “Our goal was to design a liquid medicine that delivers consistent, reliable dosing without parents having to second-guess it.”
Stable suspension technology helps ensure the active ingredient remains equally distributed throughout the liquid, from the first pour to the last. This design choice reflects how families actually use medicine at home and helps reduce variability that could otherwise occur in liquid formulations. As always, parents should follow the instructions for use on the label.
By prioritizing dose uniformity during development, TYLENOL® helps caregivers feel more confident that they’re giving the right amount, every time.
“When we talk about safety, this is what we mean,” Bateson explained. “Innovation that quietly supports parents in doing the right thing, even in stressful moments.”
A Commitment Families Can Count On
Safety isn’t a single step. It’s the constant thread running through every choice TYLENOL® makes, from research, development, and innovation decisions.
“Behind every bottle is a team of people who think deeply about the families who rely on our products,” Bateson said.
For decades, TYLENOL® has earned trust by putting families first. And that commitment continues through careful science, thoughtful design and unwavering commitment to safety. So you can feel confident reaching for a product built with your safety in mind.