The State of Texas Attorney General Sues Tylenol Makers Over Autism Allegations
The top legal official in Texas Paxton is suing the producers of acetaminophen, asserting the companies concealed safety concerns that the pain reliever created to pediatric brain development.
The court filing arrives a month after Former President Trump promoted an unverified association between consuming Tylenol - also known as paracetamol - while pregnant and autism spectrum disorder in young ones.
The attorney general is filing suit against J&J, which previously sold the drug, the sole analgesic approved for expectant mothers, and Kenvue, which currently produces it.
In a statement, he said they "betrayed America by gaining financially from suffering and promoting medication regardless of the risks."
The company says there is lacking scientific proof connecting Tylenol to autism spectrum disorder.
"These corporations lied for decades, knowingly endangering numerous people to increase profits," the attorney general, a Republican, declared.
The company stated officially 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 American women and children."
On its online platform, the company also mentioned it had "continuously evaluated the relevant science and there is no credible data that shows a established connection between taking acetaminophen and autism."
Organizations speaking for physicians and healthcare providers concur.
The leading OB-GYN organization has declared acetaminophen - the key substance in Tylenol - is a restricted selection for women during pregnancy to address discomfort and elevated temperature, which can present serious health risks if not addressed.
"In multiple decades of investigation on the utilization of paracetamol in pregnancy, not a single reputable study has successfully concluded that the consumption of acetaminophen in any trimester of pregnancy leads to neurological conditions in offspring," the group stated.
The lawsuit mentions current declarations from the Trump administration in asserting the medication is potentially dangerous.
In recent weeks, Trump caused concern from medical authorities when he told expectant mothers to "struggle intensely" not to consume acetaminophen when unwell.
The US Food and Drug Administration then released a statement that medical professionals should consider limiting the usage of acetaminophen, while also mentioning that "a direct connection" between the medication and autism spectrum disorder in children has remains unverified.
Health Secretary RFK Jr, who manages the Food and Drug Administration, had promised in spring to conduct "a massive testing and research effort" that would establish the origin of autism in a limited time.
But authorities warned that identifying a unique factor of autism - considered by experts to be the consequence of a complex mix of inherited and external influences - would not be simple.
Autism spectrum disorder is a type of lifelong neurodivergence and condition that impacts how persons encounter and interact with the world, and is identified using medical professional evaluations.
In his court filing, Paxton - a Trump ally who is campaigning for federal office - claims the manufacturer and J&J "willfully ignored and tried to quiet the evidence" around paracetamol and autism.
The case seeks to make the corporations "eliminate any marketing or advertising" that claims Tylenol is reliable for pregnant women.
The Texas lawsuit mirrors the complaints of a collection of mothers and fathers of minors with autism and ADHD who sued the makers of acetaminophen in 2022.
Judicial authorities rejected the lawsuit, saying investigations from the family's specialists was inconclusive.