The State of Texas Top Legal Officer Takes Legal Action Against Tylenol Producers Over Autism Spectrum Assertions
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is taking legal action against the manufacturers of acetaminophen, claiming the firms hid safety concerns that the drug posed to pediatric neurological development.
The lawsuit arrives thirty days after Former President Trump promoted an unsubstantiated connection between taking Tylenol - also known as paracetamol - while pregnant and autism in children.
The attorney general is suing J&J, which once produced the medication, the exclusive pain medication suggested for women during pregnancy, and Kenvue, which currently produces it.
In a official comment, he said they "betrayed America by making money from discomfort and promoting medication ignoring the potential hazards."
The company asserts there is insufficient reliable data tying Tylenol to autism.
"These corporations lied for decades, deliberately risking numerous people to increase profits," Paxton, a Republican, stated.
The manufacturer commented that it was "deeply concerned by the perpetuation of misinformation on the security of acetaminophen and the potential impact that could have on the welfare of women and children in America."
On its website, the company also stated it had "continuously evaluated the pertinent research and there is lacking reliable evidence that shows a proven link between consuming acetaminophen and autism."
Groups representing doctors and healthcare providers agree.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has declared paracetamol - the primary component in acetaminophen - is one of the few options for pregnant women to treat pain and elevated temperature, which can pose serious health risks if not addressed.
"In more than two decades of research on the use of paracetamol in pregnancy, zero credible investigations has conclusively proven that the use of paracetamol in any period of gestation results in neurological conditions in offspring," the group commented.
This legal action mentions latest statements from the previous government in claiming the drug is potentially dangerous.
In recent weeks, the former president caused concern from medical authorities when he advised expectant mothers to "struggle intensely" not to take Tylenol when ill.
The US Food and Drug Administration then published an announcement that medical professionals should consider limiting the usage of acetaminophen, while also declaring that "a proven link" between the drug and autism in young ones has not been established.
Health Secretary RFK Jr, who oversees the Food and Drug Administration, had pledged in spring to conduct "comprehensive study program" that would determine the origin of autism spectrum disorder in a matter of months.
But experts warned that identifying a single cause of autism - believed by scientists to be the outcome of a intricate combination of genetic and external influences - would be difficult.
Autism is a category of enduring cognitive variation and impairment that impacts how people encounter and relate to the surroundings, and is recognized using medical professional evaluations.
In his legal document, Paxton - a Trump ally who is seeking the Senate - claims Kenvue and J&J "intentionally overlooked and sought to suppress the evidence" around paracetamol and autism.
The case aims to force the corporations "remove any promotional materials" that asserts acetaminophen is safe for expectant mothers.
This legal action parallels the concerns of a assembly of parents of minors with autism and ADHD who sued the makers of acetaminophen in recently.
The court dismissed the lawsuit, declaring research from the family's specialists was not conclusive.