Texas Top Legal Officer Sues Acetaminophen Producers Over Autism Assertions
Texas Attorney General Paxton is taking legal action against the manufacturers of Tylenol, asserting the companies withheld alleged dangers that the medication presented to children's neurological development.
The lawsuit follows a month after Donald Trump advocated an unsubstantiated connection between taking Tylenol - referred to as paracetamol - during pregnancy and autism spectrum disorder in children.
The attorney general is taking legal action against J&J, which formerly manufactured the drug, the exclusive pain medication approved for pregnant women, and the current manufacturer, which currently produces it.
In a statement, he claimed they "misled consumers by making money from pain and marketing drugs ignoring the dangers."
Kenvue states there is insufficient reliable data linking acetaminophen to autism spectrum disorder.
"These corporations deceived for years, intentionally threatening millions to increase profits," the attorney general, from the Republican party, said.
Kenvue commented that it was "deeply concerned by the spread of false claims on the safety of paracetamol and the possible consequences that could have on the health of women and children in America."
On its website, Kenvue also stated it had "regularly reviewed the relevant science and there is lacking reliable evidence that indicates a verified association between using acetaminophen and autism spectrum disorder."
Associations speaking for medical professionals and healthcare providers agree.
The leading OB-GYN organization has said acetaminophen - the main ingredient in acetaminophen - is one of the few options for pregnant women to address pain and elevated temperature, which can present significant medical dangers if left untreated.
"In more than two decades of investigation on the consumption of paracetamol in gestation, not a single reputable study has definitively established that the consumption of paracetamol in any period of pregnancy results in brain development issues in offspring," the association said.
The lawsuit mentions current declarations from the Trump administration in claiming the medication is reportedly hazardous.
Recently, Trump caused concern from public health officials when he advised expectant mothers to "fight like hell" not to take Tylenol when ill.
Federal regulators then released a statement that medical professionals should consider limiting the usage of acetaminophen, while also mentioning that "a causal relationship" between the medication and autism in children has not been established.
The Health Department head RFK Jr, who manages the FDA, had vowed in spring to conduct "extensive scientific investigation" that would establish the origin of autism spectrum disorder in a short period.
But experts cautioned that discovering a unique factor of autism - thought by researchers to be the outcome of a intricate combination of inherited and surrounding conditions - would not be simple.
Autism spectrum disorder is a form of lifelong neurodivergence and condition that affects how persons encounter and engage with the surroundings, and is identified using medical professional evaluations.
In his lawsuit, Paxton - who supports Trump who is campaigning for federal office - alleges Kenvue and Johnson & Johnson "intentionally overlooked and tried to quiet the evidence" around paracetamol and autism.
The lawsuit seeks to make the companies "remove any commercial messaging" that claims acetaminophen is secure for women during pregnancy.
The Texas lawsuit echoes the complaints of a group of parents of children with autism spectrum disorder and ADHD who sued the manufacturers of acetaminophen in recently.
Judicial authorities rejected the lawsuit, declaring research from the family's specialists was inconclusive.