The State of Texas Top Legal Officer Files Lawsuit Against Acetaminophen Manufacturers Over Autism Spectrum Assertions
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is filing a lawsuit against the makers of acetaminophen, claiming the corporations withheld alleged dangers that the medication created to pediatric neurological development.
The lawsuit comes thirty days after Donald Trump promoted an unsubstantiated connection between taking Tylenol - alternatively called paracetamol - during pregnancy and autism spectrum disorder in children.
Paxton is filing suit against Johnson & Johnson, which once produced the drug, the sole analgesic recommended for expectant mothers, and the current manufacturer, which presently makes it.
In a statement, he stated they "deceived the public by profiting off of pain and promoting medication ignoring the risks."
The company asserts there is insufficient reliable data tying Tylenol to autism spectrum disorder.
"These corporations lied for decades, deliberately risking numerous people to boost earnings," Paxton, from the Republican party, stated.
Kenvue said in a statement that it was "very worried by the dissemination of inaccurate information on the security of acetaminophen and the likely effects that could have on the health of women and children in America."
On its website, the company also mentioned it had "regularly reviewed the applicable studies and there is insufficient valid information that demonstrates a verified association between taking paracetamol and autism spectrum disorder."
Associations representing doctors and medical practitioners concur.
ACOG has said acetaminophen - the primary component in acetaminophen - is a restricted selection for pregnant women to address discomfort and elevated temperature, which can pose serious health risks if ignored.
"In over twenty years of studies on the consumption of paracetamol in gestation, zero credible investigations has successfully concluded that the usage of acetaminophen in any trimester of gestation leads to brain development issues in children," the organization said.
The court filing cites latest statements from the previous government in claiming the medication is potentially dangerous.
In recent weeks, the former president caused concern from health experts when he advised expectant mothers to "struggle intensely" not to use acetaminophen when ill.
The US Food and Drug Administration then issued a notice that medical professionals should consider limiting the consumption of Tylenol, while also stating that "a direct connection" between the medication and autism spectrum disorder in children has not been established.
Health Secretary Kennedy, who manages the Food and Drug Administration, had vowed in April to initiate "comprehensive study program" that would identify the cause of autism spectrum disorder in a limited time.
But experts cautioned that discovering a sole reason of autism spectrum disorder - believed by scientists to be the outcome of a complicated interplay of genetic and surrounding conditions - would prove challenging.
Autism is a type of permanent neurological difference and disability that impacts how people encounter and interact with the environment, and is diagnosed using physician assessments.
In his lawsuit, the attorney general - a Trump ally who is seeking the Senate - asserts Kenvue and J&J "deliberately disregarded and attempted to silence the research" around acetaminophen and autism spectrum disorder.
The case aims to force the corporations "eliminate any promotional materials" that asserts acetaminophen is safe for women during pregnancy.
The court case echoes the grievances of a group of parents of young ones with autism spectrum disorder and ADHD who filed suit against the manufacturers of Tylenol in recently.
Judicial authorities rejected the lawsuit, saying studies from the parents' expert witnesses was inconclusive.