The State of Texas Top Legal Officer Sues Acetaminophen Producers Over Autism Spectrum Assertions
Texas Attorney General Paxton is suing the manufacturers of acetaminophen, alleging the corporations withheld safety concerns that the drug presented to pediatric cognitive development.
This legal action comes four weeks after President Donald Trump advocated an unsubstantiated connection between consuming Tylenol - also known as paracetamol - during pregnancy and autism in children.
Paxton is suing J&J, which previously sold the medication, the exclusive pain medication approved for expectant mothers, and the current manufacturer, which currently produces it.
In a statement, he claimed they "deceived the public by making money from discomfort and marketing drugs regardless of the dangers."
The company says there is lacking scientific proof connecting Tylenol to autism spectrum disorder.
"These corporations deceived for years, intentionally threatening millions to increase profits," the attorney general, from the Republican party, declared.
Kenvue said in a statement that it was "very worried by the perpetuation of misinformation on the safety of paracetamol and the potential impact that could have on the health of women and children in America."
On its official site, the company also mentioned it had "continuously evaluated the pertinent research and there is insufficient valid information that shows a verified association between using acetaminophen and autism spectrum disorder."
Associations representing physicians and medical practitioners share this view.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has stated acetaminophen - the primary component in acetaminophen - is one of the few options for women during pregnancy to treat pain and elevated temperature, which can create major wellness concerns if left untreated.
"In over twenty years of investigation on the utilization of acetaminophen in gestation, no reliable research has conclusively proven that the use of acetaminophen in any stage of pregnancy results in brain development issues in young ones," the organization said.
The lawsuit references recent announcements from the Trump administration in arguing the drug is reportedly hazardous.
Recently, Trump caused concern from public health officials when he told expectant mothers to "fight like hell" not to take acetaminophen when sick.
The FDA then issued a notice that doctors should contemplate reducing the usage of acetaminophen, while also declaring that "a causal relationship" between the drug and autism spectrum disorder in young ones has not been proven.
The Health Department head Kennedy, who supervises the Food and Drug Administration, had promised in spring to initiate "a massive testing and research effort" that would establish the cause of autism spectrum disorder in a matter of months.
But authorities warned that identifying a unique factor of autism - thought by researchers to be the consequence of a complicated interplay of inherited and external influences - would not be simple.
Autism spectrum disorder is a category of lifelong neurodivergence and impairment that influences how people experience and interact with the world, and is diagnosed using doctors' observations.
In his legal document, the attorney general - a Trump ally who is running for the Senate - alleges Kenvue and J&J "deliberately disregarded and sought to suppress the evidence" around acetaminophen and autism spectrum disorder.
This legal action attempts to require the corporations "remove any commercial messaging" that states Tylenol is reliable for pregnant women.
The Texas lawsuit mirrors the grievances of a assembly of parents of minors with autism and ADHD who sued the makers of acetaminophen in two years ago.
A federal judge rejected the lawsuit, saying studies from the parents' expert witnesses was inconclusive.