The State of Texas Top Legal Officer Files Lawsuit Against Acetaminophen Producers Concerning Autism Allegations
The top legal official in Texas Ken Paxton is taking legal action against the producers of acetaminophen, alleging the corporations withheld safety concerns that the pain reliever posed to children's brain development.
The lawsuit comes thirty days after Former President Trump publicized an unproven link between taking acetaminophen - referred to as acetaminophen - while pregnant and autism in children.
The attorney general is suing Johnson & Johnson, which formerly manufactured the drug, the exclusive pain medication recommended for pregnant women, and Kenvue, which now manufacturers it.
In a official comment, he claimed they "misled consumers by making money from discomfort and pushing pills regardless of the risks."
Kenvue asserts there is lacking scientific proof linking acetaminophen to autism.
"These companies lied for decades, intentionally threatening numerous people to line their pockets," the attorney general, from the Republican party, declared.
Kenvue commented that it was "very worried by the dissemination of inaccurate information on the safety of paracetamol and the potential impact that could have on the health of American women and children."
On its website, the company also said it had "consistently assessed the applicable studies and there is no credible data that indicates a verified association between taking acetaminophen and autism spectrum disorder."
Groups acting on behalf of doctors and medical practitioners agree.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has stated acetaminophen - the primary component in acetaminophen - is among limited choices for pregnant women to treat discomfort and fever, which can create significant medical dangers if left untreated.
"In multiple decades of investigation on the consumption of paracetamol in gestation, zero credible investigations has conclusively proven that the use of acetaminophen in any period of gestation leads to brain development issues in children," the group said.
The court filing references latest statements from the former administration in arguing the drug is reportedly hazardous.
Last month, Trump generated worry from health experts when he advised pregnant women to "struggle intensely" not to use acetaminophen when ill.
The US Food and Drug Administration then published an announcement that medical professionals should think about restricting the use of Tylenol, while also declaring that "a causal relationship" between the drug and autism in children has not been proven.
The Health Department head Robert F Kennedy Jr, who supervises the FDA, had promised in April to initiate "comprehensive study program" that would determine the cause of autism spectrum disorder in a limited time.
But experts advised that finding a single cause of autism - believed by scientists to be the outcome of a complicated interplay of genetic and environmental factors - would prove challenging.
Autism is a type of lifelong neurodivergence and disability that affects how individuals perceive and relate to the world, and is diagnosed using medical professional evaluations.
In his court filing, Paxton - who supports Trump who is seeking the Senate - alleges the manufacturer and J&J "willfully ignored and sought to suppress the evidence" around paracetamol and autism.
The lawsuit attempts to require the corporations "eliminate any promotional materials" that claims Tylenol is reliable for women during pregnancy.
This legal action echoes the concerns of a collection of mothers and fathers of young ones with autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder who took legal action against the producers of acetaminophen in 2022.
A federal judge threw out the legal action, declaring studies from the parents' expert witnesses was lacking definitive proof.