Texas Attorney General Files Lawsuit Against Acetaminophen Manufacturers Concerning Autism Allegations
The top legal official in Texas Ken Paxton is filing a lawsuit against the makers of acetaminophen, asserting the companies concealed safety concerns that the pain reliever presented to pediatric neurological development.
This legal action comes a month after President Donald Trump publicized an unsubstantiated connection between taking acetaminophen - alternatively called acetaminophen - while pregnant and autism in young ones.
The attorney general is suing the pharmaceutical giant, which once produced the medication, the exclusive pain medication suggested for expectant mothers, and the current manufacturer, which currently produces it.
In a official comment, he said they "deceived the public by gaining financially from discomfort and pushing pills ignoring the dangers."
The company asserts there is no credible evidence tying Tylenol to autism.
"These corporations misled for generations, intentionally threatening countless individuals to increase profits," Paxton, a Republican, declared.
The company stated officially that it was "very worried by the dissemination of inaccurate information on the safety of acetaminophen and the potential impact that could have on the welfare of American women and children."
On its website, Kenvue also said it had "consistently assessed the pertinent research and there is insufficient valid information that demonstrates a proven link between consuming paracetamol and autism spectrum disorder."
Associations speaking for doctors and medical practitioners agree.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has said acetaminophen - the primary component in Tylenol - is one of the few options for women during pregnancy to address pain and elevated temperature, which can create major wellness concerns if not addressed.
"In more than two decades of investigation on the use of acetaminophen in pregnancy, not a single reputable study has successfully concluded that the use of paracetamol in any stage of pregnancy leads to brain development issues in children," the association stated.
The court filing mentions latest statements from the previous government in arguing the drug is reportedly hazardous.
Last month, the former president raised alarms from public health officials when he instructed pregnant women to "resist strongly" not to take Tylenol when sick.
The US Food and Drug Administration then issued a notice that physicians should consider limiting the usage of Tylenol, while also stating that "a direct connection" between the drug and autism spectrum disorder in children has remains unverified.
Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr, who manages the Food and Drug Administration, had vowed in April to initiate "extensive scientific investigation" that would determine the cause of autism spectrum disorder in a limited time.
But experts cautioned that finding a unique factor of autism - thought by researchers to be the outcome of a intricate combination of genetic and surrounding conditions - would be difficult.
Autism spectrum disorder is a type of enduring cognitive variation and disability that impacts how people experience and engage with the environment, and is identified using doctors' observations.
In his court filing, Paxton - who supports Trump who is running for the Senate - alleges Kenvue and Johnson & Johnson "willfully ignored and tried to quiet the science" around paracetamol and autism spectrum disorder.
This legal action attempts to require the corporations "destroy any marketing or advertising" that states Tylenol is secure for expectant mothers.
The court case parallels the complaints of a collection of mothers and fathers of children with autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder who filed suit against the manufacturers of acetaminophen in two years ago.
The court rejected the legal action, stating investigations from the parents' expert witnesses was lacking definitive proof.