§ Mr. BattleTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what plans he has to introduce legislation to require methionine to be added to paracetamol products; [3136]
(2) what assessment he has made of the benefits of adding methionine to paracetamol products. [3135]
§ Mr. MaloneThere are no plans to make the inclusion of methionine in paracetamol-containing medicines mandatory.
Methionine is sometimes given by mouth to treat paracetamol overdose. It is not possible to assess directly the benefits of adding methionine to paracetamol products. It is believed that methionine may have a protective effect on the liver in paracetamol overdose, but clinical trials to establish this would be unethical. At the recommended doses the addition of methionine provides no benefit.