The State of Texas Top Legal Officer Files Lawsuit Against Tylenol Manufacturers Concerning Autism Claims
Texas Attorney General Paxton is filing a lawsuit against the manufacturers of Tylenol, claiming the corporations concealed potential risks that the drug created to pediatric neurological development.
The court filing comes four weeks after Donald Trump publicized an unproven link between consuming acetaminophen - referred to as paracetamol - while pregnant and autism in offspring.
Paxton is taking legal action against J&J, which previously sold the medication, the only pain reliever approved for pregnant women, and Kenvue, which currently produces it.
In a statement, he said they "betrayed America by making money from pain and pushing pills ignoring the dangers."
Kenvue says there is insufficient reliable data linking Tylenol to autism spectrum disorder.
"These corporations lied for decades, knowingly endangering countless individuals to increase profits," the attorney general, from the Republican party, stated.
The manufacturer commented that it was "deeply concerned by the spread of false claims on the safety of acetaminophen and the potential impact that could have on the health of US mothers and children."
On its website, the company also stated it had "regularly reviewed the relevant science and there is lacking reliable evidence that demonstrates a proven link between consuming paracetamol and autism spectrum disorder."
Groups acting on behalf of doctors and health professionals agree.
ACOG has declared acetaminophen - the key substance in acetaminophen - is one of the few options for expectant mothers to address pain and fever, which can pose major wellness concerns if left untreated.
"In more than two decades of research on the consumption of paracetamol in gestation, not a single reputable study has conclusively proven that the consumption of paracetamol in any period of pregnancy leads to brain development issues in offspring," the group stated.
The court filing references current declarations from the former administration in arguing the medication is potentially dangerous.
In recent weeks, the former president generated worry from health experts when he told expectant mothers to "struggle intensely" not to use acetaminophen when unwell.
The US Food and Drug Administration then issued a notice that physicians should think about restricting the use of acetaminophen, while also stating that "a causal relationship" between the medication and autism spectrum disorder in children has not been established.
The Health Department head RFK Jr, who oversees the Food and Drug Administration, had pledged in spring to initiate "extensive scientific investigation" that would identify the origin of autism spectrum disorder in a short period.
But authorities cautioned that finding a single cause of autism - thought by researchers to be the outcome of a complicated interplay of genetic and external influences - would prove challenging.
Autism spectrum disorder is a type of enduring cognitive variation and disability that influences how people perceive and relate to the environment, and is recognized using physician assessments.
In his legal document, Paxton - aligned with the former president who is running for federal office - asserts Kenvue and Johnson & Johnson "intentionally overlooked and sought to suppress the research" around acetaminophen and autism.
This legal action aims to force the firms "destroy any promotional materials" that claims Tylenol is safe for expectant mothers.
The court case parallels the concerns of a group of parents of young ones with autism spectrum disorder and ADHD who sued the makers of acetaminophen in recently.
The court threw out the lawsuit, stating investigations from the family's specialists was not conclusive.