The State of Texas Top Legal Officer Sues Tylenol Makers Concerning Autism Assertions
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is taking legal action against the manufacturers of Tylenol, claiming the corporations hid alleged dangers that the medication posed to children's brain development.
The lawsuit comes thirty days after Donald Trump promoted an unsubstantiated connection between taking acetaminophen - also known as paracetamol - throughout gestation and autism spectrum disorder in young ones.
The attorney general is filing suit against Johnson & Johnson, which previously sold the drug, the only pain reliever recommended for pregnant women, and the current manufacturer, which now manufacturers it.
In a declaration, he stated they "misled consumers by making money from discomfort and promoting medication regardless of the dangers."
The company states there is insufficient reliable data linking acetaminophen to autism spectrum disorder.
"These corporations deceived for years, intentionally threatening numerous people to boost earnings," Paxton, a Republican, stated.
Kenvue commented that it was "seriously troubled by the spread of false claims on the reliability of acetaminophen and the potential impact that could have on the welfare of US mothers and children."
On its online platform, Kenvue also mentioned it had "regularly reviewed the applicable studies and there is no credible data that shows a verified association between taking paracetamol and autism spectrum disorder."
Groups speaking for medical professionals and medical practitioners agree.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has declared acetaminophen - the main ingredient in Tylenol - is among limited choices for women during pregnancy to manage pain and fever, which can pose significant medical dangers if left untreated.
"In over twenty years of investigation on the consumption of paracetamol in pregnancy, no reliable research has successfully concluded that the consumption of acetaminophen in any trimester of gestation results in neurological conditions in young ones," the association commented.
The lawsuit cites latest statements from the former administration in asserting the drug is potentially dangerous.
Recently, the former president caused concern from public health officials when he instructed pregnant women to "struggle intensely" not to consume Tylenol when sick.
Federal regulators then released a statement that doctors should think about restricting the usage of acetaminophen, while also stating that "a causal relationship" between the medication and autism in minors has remains unverified.
The Health Department head Robert F Kennedy Jr, who supervises the Food and Drug Administration, had promised in spring to undertake "extensive scientific investigation" that would identify the cause of autism in a short period.
But specialists advised that finding a single cause of autism - thought by researchers to be the outcome of a intricate combination of genetic and environmental factors - would be difficult.
Autism is a type of permanent neurological difference and impairment that affects how persons encounter and engage with the surroundings, and is identified using medical professional evaluations.
In his court filing, Paxton - who supports Trump who is campaigning for US Senate - alleges Kenvue and Johnson & Johnson "willfully ignored and sought to suppress the research" around acetaminophen and autism spectrum disorder.
The lawsuit seeks to make the companies "eliminate any commercial messaging" that asserts Tylenol is secure for expectant mothers.
The court case echoes the concerns of a collection of guardians of children with autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder who took legal action against the manufacturers of acetaminophen in 2022.
A federal judge threw out the lawsuit, saying investigations from the plaintiffs' authorities was inconclusive.