The State of Texas Attorney General Files Lawsuit Against Acetaminophen Makers Regarding Autism Assertions
Texas Attorney General Paxton is filing a lawsuit against the makers of acetaminophen, claiming the corporations concealed safety concerns that the pain reliever created to pediatric brain development.
The court filing comes thirty days after Former President Trump advocated an unproven link between taking Tylenol - also known as acetaminophen - during pregnancy and autism spectrum disorder in offspring.
The attorney general is filing suit against Johnson & Johnson, which formerly manufactured the drug, the only pain reliever recommended for pregnant women, and the current manufacturer, which presently makes it.
In a statement, he stated they "betrayed America by profiting off of pain and pushing pills regardless of the dangers."
The company asserts there is insufficient reliable data connecting Tylenol to autism.
"These companies misled for generations, deliberately risking countless individuals to increase profits," Paxton, a Republican, declared.
The company commented that it was "deeply concerned by the spread of false claims on the reliability of acetaminophen and the potential impact that could have on the well-being of American women and children."
On its online platform, the company also said it had "continuously evaluated the applicable studies and there is no credible data that indicates a proven link between consuming acetaminophen and autism spectrum disorder."
Associations acting on behalf of medical professionals and medical practitioners agree.
The leading OB-GYN organization has said acetaminophen - the key substance in Tylenol - is a restricted selection for expectant mothers to manage discomfort and fever, which can create major wellness concerns if ignored.
"In more than two decades of studies on the utilization of acetaminophen in gestation, no reliable research has definitively established that the consumption of paracetamol in any period of gestation causes brain development issues in children," the organization stated.
This legal action mentions recent announcements from the Trump administration in asserting the medication is potentially dangerous.
Recently, the former president raised alarms from health experts when he advised pregnant women to "resist strongly" not to take Tylenol when sick.
The FDA then published an announcement that physicians should consider limiting the usage of Tylenol, while also mentioning that "a causal relationship" between the medication and autism spectrum disorder in children has not been established.
The Health Department head RFK Jr, who manages the FDA, had pledged in spring to undertake "extensive scientific investigation" that would determine the source of autism in a matter of months.
But specialists warned that finding a sole reason of autism - believed by scientists to be the outcome of a intricate combination of genetic and external influences - would not be simple.
Autism spectrum disorder is a form of lifelong neurodivergence and condition that impacts how persons perceive and relate to the environment, and is identified using doctors' observations.
In his court filing, the attorney general - aligned with the former president who is running for the Senate - alleges Kenvue and J&J "intentionally overlooked and sought to suppress the research" around acetaminophen and autism.
The case seeks to make the companies "eliminate any promotional materials" that states Tylenol is secure for expectant mothers.
The Texas lawsuit parallels the complaints of a collection of guardians of children with autism and ADHD who sued the producers of Tylenol in two years ago.
The court rejected the case, declaring investigations from the plaintiffs' authorities was not conclusive.