Texas Top Legal Officer Takes Legal Action Against Acetaminophen Producers Concerning Autism Assertions
The top legal official in Texas Ken Paxton is taking legal action against the producers of Tylenol, asserting the corporations concealed potential risks that the drug presented to children's cognitive development.
The lawsuit arrives a month after President Donald Trump promoted an unproven link between using acetaminophen - also known as acetaminophen - throughout gestation and autism in children.
The attorney general is filing suit against J&J, which formerly manufactured the drug, the sole analgesic recommended for pregnant women, and Kenvue, which presently makes it.
In a official comment, he claimed they "deceived the public by making money from suffering and pushing pills without regard for the potential hazards."
The company says there is no credible evidence tying Tylenol to autism.
"These corporations deceived for years, deliberately risking countless individuals to increase profits," Paxton, from the Republican party, declared.
The manufacturer commented that it was "seriously troubled by the perpetuation of misinformation on the safety of acetaminophen and the likely effects that could have on the well-being of US mothers and children."
On its website, Kenvue also said it had "consistently assessed the pertinent research and there is no credible data that indicates a established connection between using acetaminophen and autism spectrum disorder."
Organizations representing doctors and health professionals concur.
The leading OB-GYN organization has stated acetaminophen - the primary component in acetaminophen - is a restricted selection for pregnant women to manage discomfort and fever, which can present serious health risks if not addressed.
"In more than two decades of investigation on the consumption of acetaminophen in gestation, not a single reputable study has successfully concluded that the usage of paracetamol in any period of pregnancy results in brain development issues in young ones," the organization stated.
The court filing references current declarations from the previous government in claiming the medication is allegedly unsafe.
In recent weeks, the former president generated worry from public health officials when he instructed women during pregnancy to "struggle intensely" not to consume Tylenol when ill.
Federal regulators then published an announcement that physicians should contemplate reducing the usage of Tylenol, while also mentioning that "a causal relationship" between the medication and autism in minors has not been proven.
Health Secretary RFK Jr, who oversees the FDA, had pledged in spring to initiate "extensive scientific investigation" that would identify the source of autism spectrum disorder in a matter of months.
But authorities cautioned that discovering a sole reason of autism - thought by researchers to be the consequence of a intricate combination of genetic and surrounding conditions - would prove challenging.
Autism is a type of lifelong neurodivergence and disability that influences how individuals experience and interact with the surroundings, and is diagnosed using physician assessments.
In his legal document, Paxton - a Trump ally who is running for the Senate - asserts Kenvue and J&J "intentionally overlooked and attempted to silence the evidence" around paracetamol and autism.
The lawsuit aims to force the corporations "destroy any commercial messaging" that states acetaminophen is secure for pregnant women.
The Texas lawsuit mirrors the concerns of a assembly of guardians of minors with autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder who sued the producers of acetaminophen in two years ago.
The court dismissed the lawsuit, stating studies from the plaintiffs' authorities was not conclusive.