The State of Texas Top Legal Officer Sues Tylenol Makers Regarding Autism Allegations
The top legal official in Texas Paxton is suing the makers of acetaminophen, alleging the corporations concealed safety concerns that the drug presented to children's cognitive development.
The lawsuit follows thirty days after Former President Trump promoted an unproven link between consuming Tylenol - referred to as acetaminophen - throughout gestation and autism in young ones.
The attorney general is filing suit against Johnson & Johnson, which previously sold the medication, the sole analgesic suggested for expectant mothers, and the current manufacturer, which currently produces it.
In a statement, he claimed they "betrayed America by making money from suffering and pushing pills without regard for the dangers."
Kenvue asserts there is insufficient reliable data linking acetaminophen to autism spectrum disorder.
"These corporations deceived for years, knowingly endangering millions to boost earnings," Paxton, a Republican, stated.
The manufacturer said in a statement that it was "very worried by the dissemination of inaccurate information on the security of paracetamol and the potential impact that could have on the welfare of US mothers and children."
On its website, the company also mentioned it had "continuously evaluated the applicable studies and there is lacking reliable evidence that indicates a proven link between taking acetaminophen and autism."
Organizations speaking for medical professionals and medical practitioners concur.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has declared acetaminophen - the key substance in acetaminophen - is among limited choices for pregnant women to treat discomfort and elevated temperature, which can pose serious health risks if ignored.
"In more than two decades of research on the consumption of acetaminophen in gestation, zero credible investigations has conclusively proven that the usage of paracetamol in any period of gestation causes brain development issues in offspring," the association said.
The lawsuit cites recent announcements from the Trump administration in arguing the medication is potentially dangerous.
In recent weeks, the former president generated worry from public health officials when he instructed expectant mothers to "struggle intensely" not to consume acetaminophen when ill.
Federal regulators then issued a notice that doctors should contemplate reducing the usage of Tylenol, while also mentioning that "a direct connection" between the medication and autism in children has not been established.
Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr, who oversees the Food and Drug Administration, had vowed in spring to initiate "comprehensive study program" that would establish the origin of autism spectrum disorder in a short period.
But specialists warned that identifying a single cause of autism spectrum disorder - believed by scientists to be the outcome of a intricate combination of inherited and surrounding conditions - would not be simple.
Autism is a category of lifelong neurodivergence and disability that impacts how people experience and engage with the environment, and is recognized using physician assessments.
In his lawsuit, Paxton - a Trump ally who is campaigning for the Senate - asserts Kenvue and Johnson & Johnson "deliberately disregarded and tried to quiet the research" around paracetamol and autism spectrum disorder.
This legal action seeks to make the firms "eliminate any promotional materials" that claims Tylenol is reliable for expectant mothers.
The court case mirrors the complaints of a collection of parents of children with autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder who filed suit against the manufacturers of acetaminophen in recently.
The court threw out the lawsuit, stating research from the plaintiffs' authorities was not conclusive.