The State of Texas Top Legal Officer Sues Acetaminophen Producers Regarding Autism Spectrum Allegations
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is suing the manufacturers of Tylenol, asserting the firms withheld alleged dangers that the drug presented to children's cognitive development.
The court filing arrives thirty days after Donald Trump advocated an unsubstantiated connection between consuming Tylenol - also known as acetaminophen - throughout gestation and autism spectrum disorder in children.
Paxton is filing suit against J&J, which once produced the medication, the exclusive pain medication approved for women during pregnancy, and the current manufacturer, which currently produces it.
In a official comment, he claimed they "deceived the public by gaining financially from discomfort and promoting medication regardless of the potential hazards."
The manufacturer states there is lacking scientific proof tying Tylenol to autism spectrum disorder.
"These corporations deceived for years, knowingly endangering numerous people to increase profits," Paxton, from the Republican party, stated.
The manufacturer commented that it was "seriously troubled by the perpetuation of misinformation on the security of paracetamol and the possible consequences that could have on the welfare of women and children in America."
On its website, Kenvue also mentioned it had "continuously evaluated the relevant science and there is insufficient valid information that demonstrates a established connection between taking acetaminophen and autism spectrum disorder."
Groups acting on behalf of physicians and health professionals concur.
ACOG has stated acetaminophen - the main ingredient in Tylenol - is one of the few options for expectant mothers to manage pain and elevated temperature, which can pose significant medical dangers if left untreated.
"In over twenty years of studies on the use of paracetamol in gestation, zero credible investigations has definitively established that the consumption of paracetamol in any stage of pregnancy causes brain development issues in young ones," the group said.
The court filing references recent announcements from the Trump administration in claiming the drug is allegedly unsafe.
Last month, Trump raised alarms from health experts when he told women during pregnancy to "struggle intensely" not to consume acetaminophen when unwell.
Federal regulators then published an announcement that doctors should think about restricting the consumption of acetaminophen, while also stating that "a causal relationship" between the medication and autism in children has not been proven.
Health Secretary Kennedy, who manages the FDA, had pledged in April to conduct "comprehensive study program" that would identify the source of autism spectrum disorder in a short period.
But specialists advised that finding a single cause of autism spectrum disorder - thought by researchers to be the consequence of a complicated interplay of inherited and surrounding conditions - would prove challenging.
Autism spectrum disorder is a category of permanent neurological difference and disability that influences how individuals perceive and engage with the surroundings, and is recognized using medical professional evaluations.
In his lawsuit, the attorney general - aligned with the former president who is campaigning for the Senate - alleges Kenvue and Johnson & Johnson "willfully ignored and tried to quiet the evidence" around paracetamol and autism.
This legal action seeks to make the firms "eliminate any marketing or advertising" that states acetaminophen is safe for expectant mothers.
The Texas lawsuit parallels the complaints of a group of guardians of children with autism spectrum disorder and ADHD who sued the makers of Tylenol in 2022.
Judicial authorities threw out the lawsuit, declaring investigations from the plaintiffs' authorities was inconclusive.