The State of Texas Attorney General Takes Legal Action Against Tylenol Producers Over Autism Claims
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is taking legal action against the manufacturers of Tylenol, asserting the corporations concealed alleged dangers that the pain reliever posed to children's cognitive development.
This legal action follows a month after Donald Trump promoted an unproven link between using acetaminophen - referred to as paracetamol - while pregnant and autism in young ones.
The attorney general is taking legal action against the pharmaceutical giant, which previously sold the medication, the exclusive pain medication recommended for women during pregnancy, and Kenvue, which presently makes it.
In a official comment, he claimed they "deceived the public by gaining financially from discomfort and promoting medication without regard for the risks."
The company says there is no credible evidence connecting Tylenol to autism.
"These companies misled for generations, deliberately risking numerous people to line their pockets," the attorney general, a Republican, said.
The manufacturer commented that it was "seriously troubled by the dissemination of inaccurate information on the security of acetaminophen and the possible consequences that could have on the well-being of American women and children."
On its official site, Kenvue also said it had "regularly reviewed the relevant science and there is no credible data that demonstrates a established connection between taking acetaminophen and autism spectrum disorder."
Organizations acting on behalf of doctors and medical practitioners agree.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has declared paracetamol - the key substance in acetaminophen - is a restricted selection for expectant mothers to address discomfort and fever, which can pose significant medical dangers if left untreated.
"In more than two decades of research on the use of paracetamol in gestation, not a single reputable study has successfully concluded that the usage of acetaminophen in any trimester of pregnancy leads to neurological conditions in children," the group stated.
The lawsuit cites recent announcements from the Trump administration in arguing the medication is allegedly unsafe.
In recent weeks, Trump caused concern from medical authorities when he instructed pregnant women to "fight like hell" not to consume Tylenol when sick.
The FDA then published an announcement that physicians should consider limiting the consumption of acetaminophen, while also stating that "a proven link" between the medication and autism in young ones has not been established.
The Health Department head RFK Jr, who manages the Food and Drug Administration, had vowed in April to undertake "extensive scientific investigation" that would identify the origin of autism in a short period.
But specialists cautioned that discovering a single cause of autism spectrum disorder - believed by scientists to be the outcome of a complicated interplay of genetic and external influences - would prove challenging.
Autism spectrum disorder is a form of lifelong neurodivergence and disability that impacts how individuals experience and interact with the world, and is identified using doctors' observations.
In his court filing, the attorney general - who supports Trump who is seeking federal office - claims Kenvue and Johnson & Johnson "deliberately disregarded and attempted to silence the evidence" around acetaminophen and autism spectrum disorder.
The case aims to force the firms "remove any commercial messaging" that asserts acetaminophen is safe for women during pregnancy.
The Texas lawsuit mirrors the complaints of a assembly of parents of young ones with autism spectrum disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder who filed suit against the producers of Tylenol in two years ago.
A federal judge dismissed the case, stating studies from the plaintiffs' authorities was inconclusive.