Texas Top Legal Officer Takes Legal Action Against Acetaminophen Makers Over Autism Claims
The top legal official in Texas Ken Paxton is filing a lawsuit against the producers of Tylenol, claiming the companies concealed potential risks that the medication presented to pediatric neurological development.
The court filing follows four weeks after Donald Trump publicized an unsubstantiated connection between consuming Tylenol - referred to as acetaminophen - while pregnant and autism spectrum disorder in children.
Paxton is taking legal action against the pharmaceutical giant, which previously sold the drug, the sole analgesic approved for pregnant women, and Kenvue, which now manufacturers it.
In a statement, he stated they "betrayed America by profiting off of pain and pushing pills ignoring the potential hazards."
Kenvue states there is lacking scientific proof tying Tylenol to autism.
"These companies lied for decades, deliberately risking millions to boost earnings," Paxton, a Republican, said.
The manufacturer commented that it was "deeply concerned by the spread of false claims on the security of acetaminophen and the likely effects that could have on the welfare of women and children in America."
On its website, the company also said it had "consistently assessed the pertinent research and there is insufficient valid information that demonstrates a established connection between taking acetaminophen and autism."
Associations representing physicians and medical practitioners concur.
ACOG has said paracetamol - the key substance in acetaminophen - is one of the few options for pregnant women to address pain and elevated temperature, which can present major wellness concerns if not addressed.
"In multiple decades of studies on the use of paracetamol in pregnancy, zero credible investigations has definitively established that the usage of acetaminophen in any period of gestation leads to brain development issues in offspring," the association said.
The court filing mentions latest statements from the Trump administration in asserting the medication is potentially dangerous.
Recently, Trump raised alarms from health experts when he instructed pregnant women to "struggle intensely" not to take Tylenol when ill.
Federal regulators then published an announcement that medical professionals should contemplate reducing the use of acetaminophen, while also stating that "a direct connection" between the medication and autism spectrum disorder in young ones has not been proven.
The Health Department head Robert F Kennedy Jr, who oversees the Food and Drug Administration, had promised in spring to initiate "extensive scientific investigation" that would determine the source of autism in a matter of months.
But specialists cautioned that discovering a sole reason of autism spectrum disorder - considered by experts to be the outcome of a complex mix of genetic and environmental factors - would prove challenging.
Autism spectrum disorder is a category of enduring cognitive variation and impairment that impacts how individuals experience and interact with the world, and is diagnosed using physician assessments.
In his lawsuit, the attorney general - a Trump ally who is campaigning for US Senate - alleges the manufacturer and J&J "willfully ignored and sought to suppress the science" around acetaminophen and autism.
The case aims to force the companies "eliminate any marketing or advertising" that asserts Tylenol is reliable for women during pregnancy.
The Texas lawsuit parallels the concerns of a assembly of mothers and fathers of children with autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder who took legal action against the makers of Tylenol in recently.
Judicial authorities threw out the legal action, saying investigations from the parents' expert witnesses was not conclusive.