Texas Top Legal Officer Files Lawsuit Against Acetaminophen Producers Concerning Autism Allegations
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is suing the manufacturers of Tylenol, alleging the firms concealed potential risks that the drug created to pediatric cognitive development.
This legal action follows thirty days after President Donald Trump publicized an unsubstantiated connection between taking acetaminophen - referred to as paracetamol - during pregnancy and autism spectrum disorder in young ones.
Paxton is taking legal action against the pharmaceutical giant, which previously sold the drug, the exclusive pain medication approved for women during pregnancy, and the current manufacturer, which currently produces it.
In a statement, he said they "betrayed America by gaining financially from suffering and pushing pills without regard for the potential hazards."
The company asserts there is insufficient reliable data linking acetaminophen to autism.
"These corporations lied for decades, intentionally threatening numerous people to boost earnings," Paxton, a Republican, stated.
Kenvue said in a statement that it was "very worried by the spread of false claims on the safety of paracetamol and the possible consequences that could have on the welfare of American women and children."
On its official site, the company also mentioned it had "regularly reviewed the pertinent research and there is insufficient valid information that shows a verified association between taking acetaminophen and autism spectrum disorder."
Organizations acting on behalf of medical professionals and medical practitioners concur.
The leading OB-GYN organization has said paracetamol - the key substance in Tylenol - is among limited choices for pregnant women to address pain and elevated temperature, which can present major wellness concerns if ignored.
"In over twenty years of studies on the consumption of paracetamol in gestation, no reliable research has successfully concluded that the consumption of acetaminophen in any period of gestation leads to neurological conditions in children," the organization stated.
The lawsuit mentions latest statements from the Trump administration in asserting the medication is potentially dangerous.
Recently, the former president generated worry from public health officials when he advised expectant mothers to "resist strongly" not to use acetaminophen when sick.
Federal regulators then released a statement that doctors should think about restricting the consumption of Tylenol, while also declaring that "a proven link" between the drug and autism spectrum disorder in young ones has not been established.
Health Secretary RFK Jr, who manages the FDA, had vowed in April to conduct "comprehensive study program" that would establish the source of autism in a limited time.
But authorities cautioned that discovering a unique factor of autism spectrum disorder - thought by researchers to be the consequence of a intricate combination of genetic and external influences - would be difficult.
Autism spectrum disorder is a type of enduring cognitive variation and disability that influences how persons encounter and interact with the environment, and is identified using doctors' observations.
In his court filing, the attorney general - who supports Trump who is campaigning for federal office - alleges the manufacturer and Johnson & Johnson "willfully ignored and attempted to silence the evidence" around acetaminophen and autism spectrum disorder.
This legal action seeks to make the companies "destroy any commercial messaging" that claims Tylenol is reliable for expectant mothers.
The court case echoes the grievances of a assembly of mothers and fathers of children with autism spectrum disorder and ADHD who sued the producers of acetaminophen in 2022.
The court dismissed the case, declaring research from the plaintiffs' authorities was lacking definitive proof.