Texas Attorney General Files Lawsuit Against Acetaminophen Manufacturers Concerning Autism Claims
The top legal official in Texas Paxton is suing the producers of Tylenol, claiming the corporations hid safety concerns that the drug presented to pediatric cognitive development.
The court filing arrives a month after Former President Trump promoted an unsubstantiated connection between using acetaminophen - referred to as acetaminophen - while pregnant and autism in children.
Paxton is filing suit against the pharmaceutical giant, which previously sold the drug, the only pain reliever recommended for pregnant women, and Kenvue, which currently produces it.
In a official comment, he claimed they "deceived the public by gaining financially from discomfort and marketing drugs ignoring the potential hazards."
The company asserts there is insufficient reliable data linking Tylenol to autism.
"These companies deceived for years, intentionally threatening numerous people to increase profits," Paxton, a Republican, stated.
Kenvue commented that it was "seriously troubled by the spread of false claims on the safety of acetaminophen and the likely effects that could have on the well-being of women and children in America."
On its website, Kenvue also stated it had "continuously evaluated the relevant science and there is lacking reliable evidence that demonstrates a verified association between taking acetaminophen and autism."
Organizations representing medical professionals and medical practitioners share this view.
ACOG has said acetaminophen - the primary component in acetaminophen - is one of the few options for pregnant women to treat pain and elevated temperature, which can present serious health risks if ignored.
"In more than two decades of studies on the use of acetaminophen in gestation, zero credible investigations has successfully concluded that the usage of paracetamol in any stage of pregnancy causes brain development issues in children," the association said.
The lawsuit mentions current declarations from the Trump administration in claiming the drug is potentially dangerous.
Recently, Trump generated worry from health experts when he instructed expectant mothers to "struggle intensely" not to use acetaminophen when ill.
The FDA then published an announcement that doctors should consider limiting the use of acetaminophen, while also mentioning that "a proven link" between the drug and autism spectrum disorder in young ones has not been proven.
Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr, who oversees the Food and Drug Administration, had vowed in April to initiate "extensive scientific investigation" that would establish the cause of autism spectrum disorder in a limited time.
But authorities warned that discovering a unique factor of autism spectrum disorder - thought by researchers to be the consequence of a complicated interplay of genetic and environmental factors - would be difficult.
Autism is a type of permanent neurological difference and condition that affects how people perceive and engage with the surroundings, and is diagnosed using doctors' observations.
In his lawsuit, Paxton - who supports Trump who is seeking the Senate - claims the manufacturer and J&J "deliberately disregarded and attempted to silence the research" around paracetamol and autism.
The case aims to force the firms "remove any marketing or advertising" that asserts Tylenol is reliable for pregnant women.
This legal action echoes the concerns of a collection of mothers and fathers of children with autism spectrum disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder who took legal action against the manufacturers of acetaminophen in 2022.
The court rejected the lawsuit, saying studies from the family's specialists was not conclusive.