Texas Attorney General Files Lawsuit Against Tylenol Manufacturers Regarding Autism Allegations
The top legal official in Texas Ken Paxton is taking legal action against the makers of acetaminophen, claiming the corporations withheld safety concerns that the pain reliever presented to pediatric brain development.
The lawsuit follows four weeks after President Donald Trump advocated an unsubstantiated connection between taking acetaminophen - referred to as acetaminophen - during pregnancy and autism spectrum disorder in children.
The attorney general is filing suit against the pharmaceutical giant, which formerly manufactured the drug, the only pain reliever recommended for pregnant women, and Kenvue, which now manufacturers it.
In a declaration, he stated they "deceived the public by making money from suffering and pushing pills without regard for the risks."
The company asserts there is insufficient reliable data connecting Tylenol to autism.
"These manufacturers misled for generations, knowingly endangering countless individuals to boost earnings," Paxton, from the Republican party, declared.
Kenvue commented that it was "seriously troubled by the dissemination of inaccurate information on the security of paracetamol and the potential impact that could have on the health of women and children in America."
On its website, the company also stated it had "regularly reviewed the relevant science and there is lacking reliable evidence that demonstrates a verified association between consuming acetaminophen and autism spectrum disorder."
Organizations acting on behalf of doctors and medical practitioners share this view.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has stated acetaminophen - the main ingredient in acetaminophen - is one of the few options for pregnant women to treat discomfort and fever, which can create significant medical dangers if ignored.
"In over twenty years of studies on the consumption of paracetamol in pregnancy, no reliable research has definitively established that the consumption of paracetamol in any trimester of gestation leads to brain development issues in young ones," the organization commented.
The court filing mentions latest statements from the former administration in arguing the drug is allegedly unsafe.
Last month, the former president caused concern from medical authorities when he instructed expectant mothers to "struggle intensely" not to use acetaminophen when sick.
The FDA then issued a notice that doctors should contemplate reducing the consumption of acetaminophen, while also stating that "a direct connection" between the drug and autism spectrum disorder in minors has not been proven.
The Health Department head Kennedy, who manages the Food and Drug Administration, had promised in April to conduct "a massive testing and research effort" that would determine the source of autism spectrum disorder in a limited time.
But authorities warned that finding a single cause of autism spectrum disorder - believed by scientists to be the outcome of a intricate combination of inherited and external influences - would prove challenging.
Autism is a form of lifelong neurodivergence and condition that affects how individuals experience and engage with the world, and is identified using doctors' observations.
In his legal document, the attorney general - who supports Trump who is campaigning for US Senate - alleges Kenvue and Johnson & Johnson "intentionally overlooked and tried to quiet the research" around paracetamol and autism.
The lawsuit aims to force the firms "destroy any marketing or advertising" that claims acetaminophen is safe for expectant mothers.
The Texas lawsuit mirrors the complaints of a collection of mothers and fathers of minors with autism spectrum disorder and ADHD who sued the makers of acetaminophen in recently.
Judicial authorities dismissed the legal action, stating investigations from the parents' expert witnesses was not conclusive.