Texas Attorney General Takes Legal Action Against Tylenol Makers Concerning Autism Spectrum Claims
Texas Attorney General Paxton is taking legal action against the makers of acetaminophen, asserting the companies hid potential risks that the medication presented to pediatric brain development.
This legal action arrives a month after President Donald Trump publicized an unsubstantiated connection between using acetaminophen - referred to as acetaminophen - during pregnancy and autism spectrum disorder in young ones.
The attorney general is filing suit against J&J, which previously sold the drug, the only pain reliever approved for pregnant women, and the current manufacturer, which presently makes it.
In a official comment, he said they "misled consumers by making money from discomfort and promoting medication ignoring the potential hazards."
Kenvue asserts there is lacking scientific proof tying acetaminophen to autism.
"These corporations lied for decades, intentionally threatening countless individuals to boost earnings," Paxton, a Republican, declared.
Kenvue commented that it was "deeply concerned by the dissemination of inaccurate information on the security of paracetamol and the possible consequences that could have on the health of women and children in America."
On its online platform, the company also mentioned it had "consistently assessed the pertinent research and there is no credible data that indicates a established connection between consuming paracetamol and autism spectrum disorder."
Groups representing medical professionals and health professionals share this view.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has declared acetaminophen - the main ingredient in Tylenol - is among limited choices for women during pregnancy to treat discomfort and elevated temperature, which can pose significant medical dangers if left untreated.
"In more than two decades of investigation on the use of paracetamol in gestation, zero credible investigations has definitively established that the consumption of paracetamol in any period of pregnancy leads to neurodevelopmental disorders in offspring," the organization stated.
The lawsuit cites current declarations from the previous government in claiming the drug is reportedly hazardous.
In recent weeks, Trump raised alarms from medical authorities when he advised women during pregnancy to "struggle intensely" not to take Tylenol when ill.
The US Food and Drug Administration then released a statement that physicians should contemplate reducing the usage of acetaminophen, while also stating that "a proven link" between the drug and autism spectrum disorder in minors has not been established.
Health Secretary Kennedy, who supervises the Food and Drug Administration, had pledged in April to conduct "comprehensive study program" that would identify the origin of autism in a limited time.
But authorities advised that finding a sole reason of autism - believed by scientists to be the result of a intricate combination of genetic and surrounding conditions - would not be simple.
Autism spectrum disorder is a type of permanent neurological difference and impairment that impacts how people encounter and engage with the environment, and is recognized using medical professional evaluations.
In his legal document, the attorney general - aligned with the former president who is campaigning for federal office - claims the manufacturer and Johnson & Johnson "deliberately disregarded and sought to suppress the evidence" around paracetamol and autism.
The case seeks to make the corporations "remove any commercial messaging" that asserts acetaminophen is secure for expectant mothers.
The court case mirrors the complaints of a collection of mothers and fathers of minors with autism spectrum disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder who filed suit against the producers of Tylenol in 2022.
A federal judge dismissed the case, stating research from the plaintiffs' authorities was not conclusive.