The State of Texas Top Legal Officer Takes Legal Action Against Acetaminophen Producers Over Autism Spectrum Claims
The top legal official in Texas Paxton is suing the makers of Tylenol, alleging the firms withheld potential risks that the medication posed to children's cognitive development.
The court filing comes a month after President Donald Trump advocated an unproven link between using acetaminophen - referred to as paracetamol - while pregnant and autism spectrum disorder in children.
The attorney general is suing J&J, which once produced the drug, the sole analgesic suggested for pregnant women, and the current manufacturer, which now manufacturers it.
In a statement, he said they "betrayed America by making money from pain and marketing drugs without regard for the risks."
The manufacturer states there is no credible evidence tying Tylenol to autism spectrum disorder.
"These corporations lied for decades, deliberately risking countless individuals to boost earnings," Paxton, a Republican, stated.
The manufacturer stated officially that it was "deeply concerned by the dissemination of inaccurate information on the reliability of paracetamol and the possible consequences that could have on the well-being of American women and children."
On its official site, Kenvue also mentioned it had "regularly reviewed the applicable studies and there is no credible data that shows a established connection between taking acetaminophen and autism spectrum disorder."
Groups speaking for physicians and healthcare providers agree.
ACOG has declared paracetamol - the primary component in Tylenol - is among limited choices for expectant mothers to address pain and fever, which can present significant medical dangers if left untreated.
"In multiple decades of investigation on the consumption of acetaminophen in gestation, no reliable research has definitively established that the usage of paracetamol in any period of pregnancy causes brain development issues in offspring," the group said.
The court filing references recent announcements from the previous government in arguing the drug is potentially dangerous.
Last month, Trump raised alarms from medical authorities when he told pregnant women to "struggle intensely" not to consume Tylenol when ill.
The FDA then published an announcement that doctors should contemplate reducing the usage of Tylenol, while also mentioning that "a proven link" between the medication and autism in minors has remains unverified.
Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr, who oversees the FDA, had promised in April to undertake "extensive scientific investigation" that would identify the cause of autism in a short period.
But specialists advised that identifying a single cause of autism spectrum disorder - thought by researchers to be the result of a complicated interplay of inherited and external influences - would prove challenging.
Autism is a category of lifelong neurodivergence and impairment that impacts how individuals perceive and engage with the surroundings, and is recognized using physician assessments.
In his legal document, the attorney general - aligned with the former president who is campaigning for federal office - alleges the manufacturer and Johnson & Johnson "intentionally overlooked and tried to quiet the science" around acetaminophen and autism.
This legal action aims to force the companies "eliminate any promotional materials" that claims acetaminophen is secure for expectant mothers.
This legal action mirrors the concerns of a assembly of guardians of young ones with autism spectrum disorder and ADHD who sued the producers of acetaminophen in recently.
A federal judge threw out the case, declaring research from the family's specialists was lacking definitive proof.