Texas Top Legal Officer Files Lawsuit Against Acetaminophen Producers Over Autism Allegations
The top legal official in Texas Ken Paxton is filing a lawsuit against the producers of Tylenol, asserting the corporations concealed safety concerns that the drug presented to pediatric cognitive development.
This legal action follows a month after President Donald Trump promoted an unsubstantiated connection between taking acetaminophen - alternatively called paracetamol - throughout gestation and autism spectrum disorder in offspring.
The attorney general is taking legal action against J&J, which once produced the medication, the sole analgesic recommended for women during pregnancy, and Kenvue, which now manufacturers it.
In a statement, he said they "deceived the public by gaining financially from suffering and promoting medication regardless of the dangers."
The manufacturer states there is no credible evidence connecting acetaminophen to autism.
"These companies lied for decades, deliberately risking numerous people to boost earnings," Paxton, from the Republican party, declared.
The company commented that it was "very worried by the spread of false claims on the reliability of acetaminophen and the potential impact that could have on the well-being of US mothers and children."
On its website, Kenvue also stated it had "continuously evaluated the relevant science and there is no credible data that shows a proven link between consuming acetaminophen and autism spectrum disorder."
Associations speaking for medical professionals and medical practitioners agree.
The leading OB-GYN organization has stated paracetamol - the key substance in Tylenol - is a restricted selection for expectant mothers to treat pain and fever, which can present significant medical dangers if ignored.
"In multiple decades of studies on the utilization of acetaminophen in pregnancy, zero credible investigations has successfully concluded that the use of paracetamol in any trimester of pregnancy results in brain development issues in young ones," the association commented.
This legal action cites recent announcements from the Trump administration in claiming the drug is allegedly unsafe.
Recently, the former president generated worry from public health officials when he advised expectant mothers to "struggle intensely" not to use acetaminophen when unwell.
The US Food and Drug Administration then released a statement that doctors should consider limiting the use of Tylenol, while also declaring that "a direct connection" between the medication and autism spectrum disorder in children has remains unverified.
Health Secretary Kennedy, who oversees the Food and Drug Administration, had vowed in April to undertake "comprehensive study program" that would determine the cause of autism in a limited time.
But authorities advised that discovering a sole reason of autism spectrum disorder - believed by scientists to be the consequence of a complicated interplay of genetic and surrounding conditions - would not be simple.
Autism is a form of permanent neurological difference and condition that influences how people experience and interact with the world, and is recognized using physician assessments.
In his legal document, Paxton - who supports Trump who is running for the Senate - claims Kenvue and Johnson & Johnson "deliberately disregarded and attempted to silence the research" around acetaminophen and autism.
This legal action aims to force the corporations "eliminate any commercial messaging" that asserts Tylenol is secure for expectant mothers.
The court case parallels the grievances of a assembly of parents of minors with autism spectrum disorder and ADHD who filed suit against the manufacturers of Tylenol in recently.
The court threw out the case, saying research from the parents' expert witnesses was not conclusive.