The State of Texas Top Legal Officer Files Lawsuit Against Acetaminophen Producers Over Autism Spectrum Assertions
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is filing a lawsuit against the producers of Tylenol, claiming the companies concealed alleged dangers that the pain reliever posed to children's neurological development.
The lawsuit follows a month after President Donald Trump advocated an unverified association between using acetaminophen - also known as paracetamol - during pregnancy and autism in children.
The attorney general is taking legal action against Johnson & Johnson, which formerly manufactured the medication, the only pain reliever recommended for women during pregnancy, and Kenvue, which now manufacturers it.
In a official comment, he said they "deceived the public by profiting off of pain and promoting medication without regard for the dangers."
The manufacturer states there is lacking scientific proof tying acetaminophen to autism.
"These corporations deceived for years, knowingly endangering countless individuals to increase profits," the attorney general, from the Republican party, declared.
The company commented that it was "seriously troubled by the dissemination of inaccurate information on the reliability of paracetamol and the likely effects that could have on the health of women and children in America."
On its website, the company also stated it had "consistently assessed the pertinent research and there is no credible data that shows a verified association between consuming acetaminophen and autism spectrum disorder."
Associations acting on behalf of medical professionals and healthcare providers concur.
The leading OB-GYN organization has said acetaminophen - the key substance in Tylenol - is a restricted selection for women during pregnancy to manage pain and elevated temperature, which can create significant medical dangers if left untreated.
"In multiple decades of research on the consumption of acetaminophen in gestation, no reliable research has conclusively proven that the usage of paracetamol in any stage of gestation causes neurodevelopmental disorders in offspring," the association said.
The lawsuit mentions current declarations from the Trump administration in arguing the drug is reportedly hazardous.
In recent weeks, the former president caused concern from health experts when he told pregnant women to "resist strongly" not to take Tylenol when ill.
Federal regulators then published an announcement that physicians should consider limiting the usage of Tylenol, while also stating that "a causal relationship" between the drug and autism in minors has remains unverified.
Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr, who manages the Food and Drug Administration, had vowed in spring to undertake "extensive scientific investigation" that would identify the origin of autism spectrum disorder in a matter of months.
But specialists advised that discovering a unique factor of autism spectrum disorder - thought by researchers to be the result of a complex mix of inherited and surrounding conditions - would prove challenging.
Autism spectrum disorder is a category of lifelong neurodivergence and disability that influences how people perceive and interact with the environment, and is identified using physician assessments.
In his court filing, the attorney general - aligned with the former president who is campaigning for US Senate - claims Kenvue and Johnson & Johnson "intentionally overlooked and sought to suppress the science" around paracetamol and autism spectrum disorder.
This legal action attempts to require the corporations "eliminate any commercial messaging" that claims Tylenol is safe for pregnant women.
This legal action echoes the grievances of a assembly of guardians of young ones with autism spectrum disorder and ADHD who took legal action against the manufacturers of Tylenol in 2022.
The court rejected the case, saying research from the family's specialists was not conclusive.