The State of Texas Attorney General Files Lawsuit Against Acetaminophen Producers Over Autism Spectrum Claims
Texas Attorney General Paxton is filing a lawsuit against the manufacturers of acetaminophen, alleging the firms hid potential risks that the drug created to pediatric cognitive development.
The court filing follows a month after Donald Trump advocated an unsubstantiated connection between using Tylenol - referred to as paracetamol - during pregnancy and autism in offspring.
The attorney general is filing suit against the pharmaceutical giant, which formerly manufactured the medication, the exclusive pain medication recommended for expectant mothers, and Kenvue, which presently makes it.
In a statement, he claimed they "deceived the public by gaining financially from suffering and promoting medication ignoring the dangers."
Kenvue says there is insufficient reliable data connecting acetaminophen to autism spectrum disorder.
"These manufacturers misled for generations, intentionally threatening numerous people to line their pockets," Paxton, from the Republican party, stated.
The manufacturer stated officially that it was "deeply concerned by the dissemination of inaccurate information on the reliability 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 stated it had "continuously evaluated the relevant science and there is lacking reliable evidence that indicates a established connection between using paracetamol and autism spectrum disorder."
Organizations representing medical professionals and medical practitioners agree.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has said paracetamol - the main ingredient in acetaminophen - is among limited choices for pregnant women to address pain and elevated temperature, which can pose major wellness concerns if not addressed.
"In more than two decades of studies on the consumption of acetaminophen in pregnancy, zero credible investigations has definitively established that the consumption of acetaminophen in any trimester of gestation causes neurological conditions in children," the group said.
This legal action references recent announcements from the previous government in asserting the drug is reportedly hazardous.
Recently, Trump generated worry from health experts when he told expectant mothers to "resist strongly" not to use Tylenol when ill.
The US Food and Drug Administration then released a statement that medical professionals should contemplate reducing the use of acetaminophen, while also declaring that "a proven link" between the medication and autism in young ones has remains unverified.
Health Secretary Kennedy, who supervises the FDA, had vowed in April to undertake "comprehensive study program" that would establish the cause of autism in a short period.
But specialists cautioned that discovering a single cause of autism - believed by scientists to be the consequence of a complicated interplay of genetic and environmental factors - would prove challenging.
Autism is a category of permanent neurological difference and disability that influences how persons perceive and interact with the environment, and is recognized using doctors' observations.
In his legal document, the attorney general - a Trump ally who is running for federal office - claims Kenvue and Johnson & Johnson "willfully ignored and tried to quiet the evidence" around acetaminophen and autism.
The lawsuit seeks to make the companies "destroy any promotional materials" that states Tylenol is secure for pregnant women.
The court case mirrors the complaints of a collection of mothers and fathers of young ones with autism spectrum disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder who sued the producers of acetaminophen in 2022.
The court rejected the case, saying research from the plaintiffs' authorities was not conclusive.