The State of Texas Attorney General Takes Legal Action Against Acetaminophen Manufacturers Over Autism Assertions
The top legal official in Texas Ken Paxton is taking legal action against the makers of acetaminophen, alleging the corporations hid potential risks that the medication presented to pediatric brain development.
The court filing comes a month after Former President Trump promoted an unproven link between consuming Tylenol - alternatively called paracetamol - during pregnancy and autism spectrum disorder in young ones.
The attorney general is suing Johnson & Johnson, which formerly manufactured the medication, the sole analgesic recommended for women during pregnancy, and Kenvue, which presently makes it.
In a official comment, he stated they "deceived the public by profiting off of pain and promoting medication ignoring the potential hazards."
The manufacturer asserts there is insufficient reliable data tying Tylenol to autism.
"These manufacturers lied for decades, deliberately risking numerous people to line their pockets," Paxton, a Republican, said.
The company said in a statement that it was "very worried by the perpetuation of misinformation on the security of paracetamol and the potential impact that could have on the health of women and children in America."
On its official site, Kenvue also stated it had "regularly reviewed the applicable studies and there is insufficient valid information that shows a proven link between using paracetamol and autism."
Associations speaking for physicians and medical practitioners concur.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has declared paracetamol - the main ingredient in Tylenol - is one of the few options for expectant mothers to manage pain and elevated temperature, which can pose serious health risks if left untreated.
"In multiple decades of studies on the utilization of paracetamol in gestation, zero credible investigations has definitively established that the usage of paracetamol in any stage of pregnancy causes neurological conditions in offspring," the organization commented.
The lawsuit mentions current declarations from the Trump administration in arguing the medication is reportedly hazardous.
Last month, the former president raised alarms from public health officials when he instructed women during pregnancy to "fight like hell" not to consume acetaminophen when sick.
Federal regulators then issued a notice that physicians should consider limiting the usage of acetaminophen, while also stating that "a causal relationship" between the drug and autism spectrum disorder in minors has remains unverified.
Health Secretary Kennedy, who oversees the FDA, had vowed in April to undertake "a massive testing and research effort" that would establish the cause of autism in a matter of months.
But specialists advised that finding a single cause of autism spectrum disorder - believed by scientists to be the result of a intricate combination of genetic and external influences - would not be simple.
Autism spectrum disorder is a category of enduring cognitive variation and impairment that impacts how individuals encounter and engage with the environment, and is recognized using physician assessments.
In his court filing, the attorney general - a Trump ally who is campaigning for federal office - alleges the manufacturer and Johnson & Johnson "deliberately disregarded and sought to suppress the science" around acetaminophen and autism spectrum disorder.
The case seeks to make the firms "remove any promotional materials" that asserts Tylenol is safe for women during pregnancy.
This legal action mirrors the concerns of a assembly of parents of children with autism spectrum disorder and ADHD who sued the producers of Tylenol in two years ago.
The court dismissed the lawsuit, stating studies from the family's specialists was inconclusive.