Texas Top Legal Officer Sues Acetaminophen Makers Over Autism Allegations
Texas Attorney General Paxton is suing the producers of acetaminophen, claiming the companies concealed potential risks that the drug presented to pediatric brain development.
The court filing follows four weeks after President Donald Trump promoted an unsubstantiated connection between taking Tylenol - referred to as acetaminophen - while pregnant and autism spectrum disorder in offspring.
The attorney general is filing suit against Johnson & Johnson, which previously sold the medication, the sole analgesic suggested for women during pregnancy, and Kenvue, which currently produces it.
In a statement, he claimed they "betrayed America by profiting off of discomfort and pushing pills without regard for the dangers."
Kenvue asserts there is no credible evidence connecting Tylenol to autism spectrum disorder.
"These manufacturers lied for decades, intentionally threatening countless individuals to boost earnings," Paxton, a Republican, declared.
Kenvue said in a statement that it was "seriously troubled by the perpetuation of misinformation on the reliability of acetaminophen and the potential impact that could have on the well-being of American women and children."
On its online platform, the company also said it had "continuously evaluated the pertinent research and there is no credible data that indicates a proven link between taking acetaminophen and autism spectrum disorder."
Organizations acting on behalf of physicians and health professionals concur.
The leading OB-GYN organization has said paracetamol - the primary component in acetaminophen - is among limited choices for women during pregnancy to treat discomfort and fever, which can present major wellness concerns if ignored.
"In multiple decades of investigation on the consumption of paracetamol in gestation, not a single reputable study has successfully concluded that the use of acetaminophen in any trimester of pregnancy causes neurological conditions in children," the association stated.
The lawsuit cites recent announcements from the previous government in arguing the drug is potentially dangerous.
In recent weeks, Trump raised alarms from medical authorities when he told women during pregnancy to "resist strongly" not to use acetaminophen when unwell.
The US Food and Drug Administration then released a statement that medical professionals should think about restricting the consumption of Tylenol, while also declaring that "a causal relationship" between the medication and autism in children has remains unverified.
Health Secretary RFK Jr, who manages the FDA, had promised in April to conduct "comprehensive study program" that would identify the origin of autism in a limited time.
But specialists cautioned that identifying a unique factor of autism spectrum disorder - thought by researchers to be the outcome of a intricate combination of inherited and surrounding conditions - would not be simple.
Autism is a category of permanent neurological difference and impairment that affects how people encounter and engage with the environment, and is recognized using doctors' observations.
In his court filing, Paxton - a Trump ally who is campaigning for the Senate - alleges Kenvue and J&J "willfully ignored and attempted to silence the science" around acetaminophen and autism spectrum disorder.
The lawsuit attempts to require the companies "remove any marketing or advertising" that states acetaminophen is safe for expectant mothers.
The court case mirrors the complaints of a group of guardians of young ones with autism spectrum disorder and ADHD who filed suit against the producers of Tylenol in recently.
Judicial authorities rejected the lawsuit, stating research from the parents' expert witnesses was not conclusive.