The State of Texas Attorney General Takes Legal Action Against Acetaminophen Makers Concerning Autism Claims
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is taking legal action against the producers of Tylenol, asserting the firms hid safety concerns that the medication posed to children's cognitive development.
This legal action follows a month after Donald Trump promoted an unverified association between consuming acetaminophen - also known as acetaminophen - throughout gestation and autism in young ones.
The attorney general is filing suit against Johnson & Johnson, which formerly manufactured the medication, the only pain reliever approved for pregnant women, and Kenvue, which currently produces it.
In a statement, he said they "deceived the public by profiting off of pain and pushing pills without regard for the risks."
The company states there is no credible evidence tying acetaminophen to autism.
"These companies deceived for years, deliberately risking numerous people to boost earnings," the attorney general, from the Republican party, stated.
The company said in a statement that it was "very worried by the spread of false claims on the security of acetaminophen and the possible consequences that could have on the well-being of American women and children."
On its official site, the company also stated it had "regularly reviewed the pertinent research and there is insufficient valid information that demonstrates a established connection between taking paracetamol and autism spectrum disorder."
Organizations acting on behalf of physicians and medical practitioners share this view.
The leading OB-GYN organization has stated acetaminophen - the primary component in Tylenol - is among limited choices for women during pregnancy to address pain and elevated temperature, which can present significant medical dangers if not addressed.
"In over twenty years of investigation on the use of paracetamol in pregnancy, zero credible investigations has conclusively proven that the usage of paracetamol in any stage of gestation leads to neurodevelopmental disorders in children," the association stated.
This legal action references recent announcements from the previous government in claiming the medication is reportedly hazardous.
Recently, the former president generated worry from medical authorities when he instructed pregnant women to "resist strongly" not to use Tylenol when unwell.
Federal regulators then released a statement that physicians should consider limiting the consumption of acetaminophen, while also stating that "a causal relationship" between the medication and autism spectrum disorder in minors has remains unverified.
The Health Department head RFK Jr, who supervises the FDA, had promised in April to conduct "extensive scientific investigation" that would identify the source of autism spectrum disorder in a short period.
But specialists warned that finding a single cause of autism - considered by experts to be the outcome of a complicated interplay of inherited and external influences - would not be simple.
Autism spectrum disorder is a category of permanent neurological difference and disability that influences how individuals experience and engage with the world, and is recognized using medical professional evaluations.
In his legal document, the attorney general - who supports Trump who is running for federal office - claims the manufacturer and Johnson & Johnson "intentionally overlooked and sought to suppress the research" around paracetamol and autism.
The case aims to force the companies "destroy any marketing or advertising" that claims acetaminophen is safe for expectant mothers.
The court case echoes the complaints of a collection of parents of children with autism spectrum disorder and ADHD who sued the producers of Tylenol in two years ago.
Judicial authorities threw out the legal action, saying studies from the parents' expert witnesses was lacking definitive proof.