The State of Texas Attorney General Takes Legal Action Against Acetaminophen Makers Concerning Autism Spectrum Allegations
The top legal official in Texas Ken Paxton is taking legal action against the producers of acetaminophen, alleging the corporations concealed potential risks that the pain reliever presented to children's neurological development.
The lawsuit follows thirty days after Former President Trump publicized an unverified association between taking Tylenol - alternatively called acetaminophen - while pregnant and autism spectrum disorder in offspring.
The attorney general is taking legal action against the pharmaceutical giant, which previously sold the drug, the only pain reliever recommended for women during pregnancy, and the current manufacturer, which presently makes it.
In a declaration, he stated they "deceived the public by making money from pain and promoting medication regardless of the risks."
The company states there is no credible evidence linking Tylenol to autism.
"These corporations lied for decades, knowingly endangering millions to boost earnings," Paxton, from the Republican party, said.
The manufacturer said in a statement that it was "seriously troubled by the spread of false claims on the reliability of paracetamol and the likely effects that could have on the welfare of women and children in America."
On its online platform, Kenvue also said it had "regularly reviewed the relevant science and there is no credible data that demonstrates a established connection between using paracetamol and autism."
Groups representing medical professionals and healthcare providers agree.
The leading OB-GYN organization has stated acetaminophen - the primary component in Tylenol - is one of the few options for expectant mothers to address pain and fever, which can present serious health risks if ignored.
"In over twenty years of investigation on the consumption of paracetamol in gestation, not a single reputable study has definitively established that the usage of acetaminophen in any trimester of gestation results in brain development issues in young ones," the association stated.
The court filing references current declarations from the former administration in arguing the drug is allegedly unsafe.
Recently, the former president caused concern from medical authorities when he instructed expectant mothers to "struggle intensely" not to consume Tylenol when ill.
Federal regulators then issued a notice that doctors should consider limiting the use of Tylenol, while also mentioning that "a direct connection" between the medication and autism spectrum disorder in young ones has not been established.
The Health Department head Robert F Kennedy Jr, who supervises the Food and Drug Administration, had promised in spring to undertake "extensive scientific investigation" that would establish the cause of autism spectrum disorder in a limited time.
But authorities warned that identifying a unique factor of autism spectrum disorder - thought by researchers to be the outcome of a intricate combination of genetic and external influences - would prove challenging.
Autism spectrum disorder is a type of permanent neurological difference and condition that impacts how persons encounter and engage with the surroundings, and is recognized using medical professional evaluations.
In his lawsuit, the attorney general - a Trump ally who is running for US Senate - asserts the manufacturer and J&J "deliberately disregarded and attempted to silence the research" around paracetamol and autism.
The case attempts to require the companies "remove any marketing or advertising" that asserts Tylenol is secure for women during pregnancy.
The court case mirrors the complaints of a assembly of guardians of children with autism spectrum disorder and ADHD who sued the manufacturers of acetaminophen in 2022.
A federal judge dismissed the legal action, stating studies from the plaintiffs' authorities was lacking definitive proof.