Texas Top Legal Officer Takes Legal Action Against Acetaminophen Manufacturers Regarding Autism Spectrum Assertions
Texas Attorney General Paxton is filing a lawsuit against the makers of acetaminophen, claiming the corporations hid alleged dangers that the medication posed to pediatric cognitive development.
The court filing follows four weeks after Former President Trump publicized an unproven link between consuming acetaminophen - alternatively called paracetamol - while pregnant and autism in offspring.
The attorney general is taking legal action against the pharmaceutical giant, which formerly manufactured the drug, the only pain reliever suggested for pregnant women, and the current manufacturer, which presently makes it.
In a statement, he claimed they "deceived the public by profiting off of pain and marketing drugs ignoring the dangers."
Kenvue states there is lacking scientific proof connecting acetaminophen to autism spectrum disorder.
"These companies deceived for years, deliberately risking countless individuals to line their pockets," the attorney general, from the Republican party, declared.
The manufacturer stated officially that it was "seriously troubled by the dissemination of inaccurate information on the reliability of paracetamol and the potential impact that could have on the health of US mothers and children."
On its online platform, the company also stated it had "continuously evaluated the pertinent research and there is no credible data that demonstrates a established connection between taking acetaminophen and autism spectrum disorder."
Groups acting on behalf of physicians and healthcare providers agree.
ACOG has declared paracetamol - the primary component in Tylenol - is one of the few options for women during pregnancy to address discomfort and fever, which can create significant medical dangers if ignored.
"In more than two decades of investigation on the consumption of acetaminophen in pregnancy, not a single reputable study has successfully concluded that the consumption of acetaminophen in any trimester of gestation causes neurological conditions in offspring," the association commented.
The lawsuit cites latest statements from the Trump administration in asserting the drug is potentially dangerous.
Last month, the former president caused concern from medical authorities when he advised expectant mothers to "fight like hell" not to take Tylenol when sick.
The FDA then published an announcement that physicians should think about restricting the use of Tylenol, while also mentioning that "a direct connection" between the medication and autism spectrum disorder in children has remains unverified.
The Health Department head Kennedy, who oversees the FDA, had pledged in April to undertake "extensive scientific investigation" that would determine the cause of autism in a short period.
But authorities cautioned that discovering a single cause of autism spectrum disorder - considered by experts to be the consequence of a complex mix of genetic and external influences - would be difficult.
Autism spectrum disorder is a type of permanent neurological difference and condition that influences how people experience and engage with the environment, and is diagnosed using medical professional evaluations.
In his court filing, Paxton - a Trump ally who is seeking the Senate - asserts Kenvue and Johnson & Johnson "deliberately disregarded and tried to quiet the science" around acetaminophen and autism.
The case attempts to require the corporations "remove any commercial messaging" that asserts Tylenol is safe for expectant mothers.
The court case echoes the concerns of a collection of parents of young ones with autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder who took legal action against the manufacturers of Tylenol in 2022.
A federal judge threw out the case, declaring studies from the parents' expert witnesses was lacking definitive proof.