The State of Texas Attorney General Takes Legal Action Against Acetaminophen Makers Regarding Autism Spectrum Allegations
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is filing a lawsuit against the manufacturers of Tylenol, asserting the firms hid potential risks that the medication presented to pediatric cognitive development.
The lawsuit arrives a month after President Donald Trump promoted an unproven link between taking acetaminophen - alternatively called paracetamol - while pregnant and autism in offspring.
Paxton is suing Johnson & Johnson, which once produced the drug, the sole analgesic suggested for pregnant women, and Kenvue, which currently produces it.
In a declaration, he stated they "betrayed America by profiting off of suffering and marketing drugs without regard for the risks."
Kenvue states there is lacking scientific proof linking Tylenol to autism.
"These companies lied for decades, deliberately risking numerous people to boost earnings," Paxton, a Republican, declared.
The manufacturer stated officially that it was "seriously troubled by the dissemination of inaccurate information on the safety of paracetamol and the likely effects that could have on the well-being of US mothers and children."
On its online platform, the company also stated it had "consistently assessed the relevant science and there is insufficient valid information that shows a established connection between consuming paracetamol and autism spectrum disorder."
Associations representing medical professionals and health professionals share this view.
The leading OB-GYN organization has stated acetaminophen - the main ingredient in Tylenol - is one of the few options for women during pregnancy to address discomfort and elevated temperature, which can pose major wellness concerns if left untreated.
"In over twenty years of research on the utilization of acetaminophen in pregnancy, no reliable research has conclusively proven that the use of paracetamol in any trimester of gestation leads to brain development issues in offspring," the group stated.
The court filing references latest statements from the previous government in claiming the drug is allegedly unsafe.
Recently, the former president generated worry from health experts when he instructed expectant mothers to "fight like hell" not to consume Tylenol when sick.
Federal regulators then published an announcement that physicians should consider limiting the consumption of acetaminophen, while also mentioning that "a direct connection" between the drug and autism spectrum disorder in minors has not been proven.
Health Secretary Kennedy, who oversees the FDA, had promised in April to undertake "a massive testing and research effort" that would determine the cause of autism in a matter of months.
But authorities advised that discovering a single cause of autism - thought by researchers to be the outcome of a intricate combination of genetic and environmental factors - would be difficult.
Autism is a category of permanent neurological difference and disability that influences how people encounter and interact with the surroundings, and is identified using physician assessments.
In his legal document, Paxton - who supports Trump who is running for federal office - claims the manufacturer and Johnson & Johnson "willfully ignored and sought to suppress the evidence" around paracetamol and autism.
The case attempts to require the firms "remove any marketing or advertising" that states acetaminophen is secure for women during pregnancy.
This legal action mirrors the complaints of a collection of guardians of children with autism and ADHD who took legal action against the makers of Tylenol in 2022.
The court rejected the case, stating investigations from the plaintiffs' authorities was lacking definitive proof.