Texas Top Legal Officer Takes Legal Action Against Tylenol Makers Over Autism Claims
Texas Attorney General Paxton is filing a lawsuit against the makers of Tylenol, claiming the companies hid safety concerns that the medication created to pediatric cognitive development.
The lawsuit comes a month after Former President Trump publicized an unproven link between using Tylenol - also known as paracetamol - while pregnant and autism spectrum disorder in offspring.
Paxton is taking legal action against Johnson & Johnson, which formerly manufactured the medication, the only pain reliever suggested for women during pregnancy, and Kenvue, which now manufacturers it.
In a declaration, he claimed they "deceived the public by gaining financially from pain and promoting medication regardless of the dangers."
The manufacturer says there is insufficient reliable data linking Tylenol to autism.
"These manufacturers lied for decades, intentionally threatening millions to line their pockets," Paxton, a Republican, declared.
The company said in a statement that it was "deeply concerned by the spread of false claims on the security of paracetamol and the possible consequences that could have on the well-being of US mothers and children."
On its official site, the company also mentioned it had "consistently assessed the applicable studies and there is lacking reliable evidence that shows a proven link between using acetaminophen and autism spectrum disorder."
Associations speaking for physicians and healthcare providers agree.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has stated acetaminophen - the main ingredient in acetaminophen - is a restricted selection for women during pregnancy to treat discomfort and elevated temperature, which can create major wellness concerns if left untreated.
"In multiple decades of studies on the utilization of paracetamol in pregnancy, no reliable research has conclusively proven that the usage of paracetamol in any stage of pregnancy results in brain development issues in offspring," the association stated.
The lawsuit references current declarations from the Trump administration in asserting the medication is reportedly hazardous.
Recently, Trump raised alarms from public health officials when he instructed women during pregnancy to "struggle intensely" not to use acetaminophen when sick.
Federal regulators then released a statement that doctors should consider limiting the usage of Tylenol, while also mentioning that "a causal relationship" between the drug and autism in children has not been proven.
The Health Department head Robert F Kennedy Jr, who supervises the Food and Drug Administration, had vowed in spring to undertake "a massive testing and research effort" that would establish the origin of autism spectrum disorder in a matter of months.
But experts warned that identifying a sole reason of autism - believed by scientists to be the outcome of a intricate combination of inherited and external influences - would prove challenging.
Autism is a type of lifelong neurodivergence and impairment that affects how persons perceive and relate to the environment, and is identified using doctors' observations.
In his court filing, the attorney general - a Trump ally who is running for federal office - alleges Kenvue and J&J "intentionally overlooked and attempted to silence the science" around paracetamol and autism spectrum disorder.
The case seeks to make the companies "eliminate any marketing or advertising" that states acetaminophen is reliable for women during pregnancy.
The Texas lawsuit mirrors the grievances of a collection of mothers and fathers of children with autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder who filed suit against the makers of Tylenol in 2022.
The court dismissed the lawsuit, stating studies from the family's specialists was lacking definitive proof.