The State of Texas Top Legal Officer Files Lawsuit Against Acetaminophen Manufacturers Concerning Autism Assertions
Texas Attorney General Paxton is suing the producers of acetaminophen, claiming the companies withheld potential risks that the pain reliever posed to children's cognitive development.
The lawsuit comes a month after Former President Trump advocated an unsubstantiated connection between taking Tylenol - referred to as acetaminophen - during pregnancy and autism in offspring.
Paxton is filing suit against Johnson & Johnson, which once produced the drug, the sole analgesic approved for expectant mothers, and the current manufacturer, which currently produces it.
In a statement, he said they "deceived the public by gaining financially from pain and promoting medication without regard for the risks."
The manufacturer asserts there is no credible evidence connecting Tylenol to autism spectrum disorder.
"These manufacturers misled for generations, intentionally threatening countless individuals to boost earnings," Paxton, a Republican, said.
Kenvue stated officially that it was "seriously troubled by the perpetuation of misinformation on the reliability of acetaminophen and the likely effects that could have on the health of US mothers and children."
On its website, the company also stated it had "continuously evaluated the relevant science and there is lacking reliable evidence that demonstrates a established connection between using paracetamol and autism spectrum disorder."
Groups speaking for doctors and health professionals concur.
The leading OB-GYN organization has said acetaminophen - the main ingredient in Tylenol - is a restricted selection for expectant mothers to address discomfort and fever, which can create serious health risks if left untreated.
"In more than two decades of studies on the utilization of paracetamol in pregnancy, not a single reputable study has definitively established that the usage of acetaminophen in any period of gestation results in neurological conditions in children," the organization said.
This legal action references recent announcements from the Trump administration in arguing the drug is potentially dangerous.
Recently, Trump generated worry from medical authorities when he instructed women during pregnancy to "fight like hell" not to consume acetaminophen when unwell.
The US Food and Drug Administration then released a statement that doctors should contemplate reducing the consumption of acetaminophen, while also stating that "a proven link" between the drug and autism in young ones has not been proven.
The Health Department head Robert F Kennedy Jr, who supervises the FDA, had vowed in April to conduct "comprehensive study program" that would identify the cause of autism in a limited time.
But authorities cautioned that identifying a unique factor of autism spectrum disorder - considered by experts to be the consequence of a complex mix of inherited and external influences - would not be simple.
Autism is a category of permanent neurological difference and disability that impacts how individuals experience and engage with the surroundings, and is identified using doctors' observations.
In his legal document, Paxton - aligned with the former president who is running for US Senate - alleges the manufacturer and Johnson & Johnson "intentionally overlooked and sought to suppress the evidence" around acetaminophen and autism spectrum disorder.
The lawsuit seeks to make the companies "remove any promotional materials" that asserts Tylenol is secure for expectant mothers.
The Texas lawsuit parallels the grievances of a assembly of mothers and fathers of young ones with autism spectrum disorder and ADHD who took legal action against the producers of Tylenol in 2022.
A federal judge dismissed the legal action, declaring research from the plaintiffs' authorities was inconclusive.
