The State of Texas Attorney General Files Lawsuit Against Tylenol Makers Concerning Autism Allegations
Texas Attorney General Paxton is filing a lawsuit against the manufacturers of acetaminophen, alleging the corporations withheld safety concerns that the medication posed to pediatric neurological development.
The lawsuit comes a month after Former President Trump promoted an unproven link between consuming Tylenol - also known as paracetamol - while pregnant and autism in young ones.
The attorney general is filing suit against J&J, which previously sold the medication, the exclusive pain medication suggested for expectant mothers, and Kenvue, which presently makes it.
In a declaration, he claimed they "deceived the public by profiting off of suffering and promoting medication regardless of the risks."
The company asserts there is lacking scientific proof linking acetaminophen to autism.
"These corporations misled for generations, intentionally threatening millions to boost earnings," the attorney general, a Republican, said.
The manufacturer said in a statement that it was "seriously troubled by the dissemination of inaccurate information on the reliability of paracetamol and the likely effects that could have on the welfare of US mothers and children."
On its website, Kenvue also mentioned it had "regularly reviewed the relevant science and there is insufficient valid information that demonstrates a proven link between taking acetaminophen and autism spectrum disorder."
Groups acting on behalf of physicians and medical practitioners agree.
ACOG has declared paracetamol - the key substance in Tylenol - is one of the few options for women during pregnancy to manage pain and fever, which can pose serious health risks if left untreated.
"In more than two decades of research on the utilization of paracetamol in pregnancy, no reliable research has conclusively proven that the consumption of acetaminophen in any trimester of pregnancy causes brain development issues in offspring," the association said.
The court filing cites latest statements from the Trump administration in asserting the medication is potentially dangerous.
In recent weeks, the former president caused concern from public health officials when he told women during pregnancy to "struggle intensely" not to take acetaminophen when sick.
Federal regulators then published an announcement that physicians should contemplate reducing the usage of acetaminophen, while also declaring that "a proven link" between the medication and autism in minors has remains unverified.
The Health Department head Kennedy, who oversees the FDA, had pledged in April to conduct "a massive testing and research effort" that would identify the cause of autism in a limited time.
But authorities warned that finding a single cause of autism - thought by researchers to be the outcome of a complex mix of inherited and environmental factors - would not be simple.
Autism spectrum disorder is a category of permanent neurological difference and condition that impacts how persons perceive and relate to the environment, and is diagnosed using medical professional evaluations.
In his legal document, Paxton - aligned with the former president who is campaigning for US Senate - asserts Kenvue and Johnson & Johnson "intentionally overlooked and tried to quiet the evidence" around acetaminophen and autism.
This legal action attempts to require the corporations "destroy any commercial messaging" that states Tylenol is reliable for pregnant women.
The Texas lawsuit mirrors the concerns of a collection of guardians of children with autism and ADHD who sued the makers of Tylenol in two years ago.
Judicial authorities rejected the case, declaring investigations from the plaintiffs' authorities was lacking definitive proof.