Texas Attorney General Takes Legal Action Against Tylenol Producers Over Autism Claims
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is taking legal action against the makers of acetaminophen, claiming the firms hid alleged dangers that the drug presented to children's neurological development.
This legal action arrives thirty days after Donald Trump advocated an unproven link between using acetaminophen - referred to as paracetamol - throughout gestation and autism spectrum disorder in young ones.
Paxton is suing the pharmaceutical giant, which once produced the drug, the only pain reliever approved for pregnant women, and Kenvue, which currently produces it.
In a official comment, he stated they "misled consumers by making money from pain and promoting medication without regard for the potential hazards."
The company says there is lacking scientific proof linking acetaminophen to autism.
"These companies deceived for years, deliberately risking countless individuals to line their pockets," Paxton, a Republican, declared.
Kenvue commented that it was "seriously troubled by the spread of false claims on the reliability of acetaminophen and the potential impact that could have on the welfare of US mothers and children."
On its online platform, the company also mentioned it had "regularly reviewed the applicable studies and there is insufficient valid information that shows a proven link between taking paracetamol and autism."
Associations speaking for doctors and health professionals concur.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has declared paracetamol - the main ingredient in Tylenol - is among limited choices for women during pregnancy to address discomfort and elevated temperature, which can create serious health risks if left untreated.
"In multiple decades of research on the use of paracetamol in pregnancy, zero credible investigations has successfully concluded that the usage of acetaminophen in any trimester of pregnancy results in neurological conditions in young ones," the group stated.
This legal action references current declarations from the Trump administration in asserting the drug is allegedly unsafe.
In recent weeks, Trump caused concern from health experts when he instructed women during pregnancy to "struggle intensely" not to use acetaminophen when sick.
The FDA then issued a notice that doctors should consider limiting the usage of acetaminophen, while also declaring that "a proven link" between the medication and autism in minors has not been established.
The Health Department head Kennedy, who supervises the FDA, had promised in spring to undertake "a massive testing and research effort" that would determine the source of autism spectrum disorder in a matter of months.
But specialists cautioned that identifying a sole reason of autism spectrum disorder - believed by scientists to be the result of a complicated interplay of inherited and environmental factors - would not be simple.
Autism spectrum disorder is a category of lifelong neurodivergence and impairment that impacts how individuals encounter and relate to the world, and is recognized using physician assessments.
In his lawsuit, the attorney general - who supports Trump who is running for US Senate - claims the manufacturer and Johnson & Johnson "deliberately disregarded and attempted to silence the evidence" around paracetamol and autism.
This legal action attempts to require the corporations "remove any commercial messaging" that claims Tylenol is reliable for expectant mothers.
The Texas lawsuit mirrors the complaints of a assembly of mothers and fathers of minors with autism spectrum disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder who filed suit against the manufacturers of acetaminophen in 2022.
Judicial authorities threw out the legal action, declaring studies from the family's specialists was lacking definitive proof.