The State of Texas Top Legal Officer Sues Acetaminophen Manufacturers Regarding Autism Allegations
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is filing a lawsuit against the makers of acetaminophen, alleging the companies concealed safety concerns that the pain reliever presented to pediatric brain development.
The lawsuit comes four weeks after Former President Trump publicized an unsubstantiated connection between taking acetaminophen - alternatively called acetaminophen - throughout gestation and autism in offspring.
The attorney general is filing suit against Johnson & Johnson, which formerly manufactured the drug, the sole analgesic suggested for expectant mothers, and the current manufacturer, which presently makes it.
In a official comment, he stated they "betrayed America by profiting off of pain and pushing pills without regard for the dangers."
Kenvue asserts there is lacking scientific proof tying acetaminophen to autism.
"These manufacturers lied for decades, knowingly endangering millions to boost earnings," the attorney general, from the Republican party, stated.
The company said in a statement that it was "very worried by the perpetuation of misinformation on the safety of paracetamol and the likely effects that could have on the welfare of American women and children."
On its online platform, Kenvue also mentioned it had "continuously evaluated the relevant science and there is insufficient valid information that demonstrates a proven link between taking paracetamol and autism."
Associations speaking for doctors and medical practitioners concur.
ACOG has stated acetaminophen - the main ingredient in Tylenol - is among limited choices for pregnant women to manage pain and elevated temperature, which can pose major wellness concerns if not addressed.
"In multiple decades of research on the utilization of acetaminophen in gestation, zero credible investigations has conclusively proven that the use of paracetamol in any period of pregnancy leads to brain development issues in children," the group said.
The lawsuit mentions latest statements from the former administration in arguing the medication is reportedly hazardous.
Last month, the former president raised alarms from medical authorities when he advised women during pregnancy to "struggle intensely" not to use Tylenol when unwell.
Federal regulators then released a statement that physicians should contemplate reducing the consumption of acetaminophen, while also stating that "a direct connection" between the medication and autism in young ones has remains unverified.
The Health Department head Robert F Kennedy Jr, who oversees the FDA, had vowed in spring to conduct "extensive scientific investigation" that would establish the cause of autism spectrum disorder in a short period.
But experts advised that discovering a unique factor of autism spectrum disorder - considered by experts to be the consequence of a complicated interplay of genetic and environmental factors - would not be simple.
Autism spectrum disorder is a category of enduring cognitive variation and impairment that influences how people encounter and interact with the surroundings, and is identified using doctors' observations.
In his lawsuit, Paxton - aligned with the former president who is campaigning for the Senate - alleges the manufacturer and J&J "intentionally overlooked and tried to quiet the evidence" around paracetamol and autism spectrum disorder.
The lawsuit seeks to make the companies "destroy any promotional materials" that asserts acetaminophen is secure for expectant mothers.
This legal action echoes the concerns of a collection of mothers and fathers of minors with autism spectrum disorder and ADHD who sued the producers of acetaminophen in 2022.
A federal judge threw out the lawsuit, declaring research from the plaintiffs' authorities was inconclusive.