The State of Texas Top Legal Officer Sues Tylenol Makers Over Autism Assertions
The top legal official in Texas Ken Paxton is suing the producers of acetaminophen, asserting the corporations withheld safety concerns that the medication created to children's neurological development.
This legal action follows four weeks after Donald Trump publicized an unproven link between consuming acetaminophen - also known as paracetamol - while pregnant and autism spectrum disorder in offspring.
The attorney general is suing J&J, which once produced the drug, the sole analgesic suggested for women during pregnancy, and Kenvue, which currently produces it.
In a official comment, he claimed they "deceived the public by making money from pain and marketing drugs ignoring the potential hazards."
The manufacturer states there is insufficient reliable data connecting Tylenol to autism.
"These manufacturers deceived for years, deliberately risking millions to increase profits," Paxton, from the Republican party, declared.
Kenvue said in a statement that it was "very worried by the perpetuation of misinformation on the reliability of paracetamol and the possible consequences that could have on the health of US mothers and children."
On its online platform, the company also mentioned it had "continuously evaluated the pertinent research and there is insufficient valid information that demonstrates a proven link between using acetaminophen and autism spectrum disorder."
Groups speaking for medical professionals and health professionals agree.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has said acetaminophen - the primary component in Tylenol - is one of the few options for pregnant women to address pain and fever, which can present serious health risks if left untreated.
"In over twenty years of research on the consumption of paracetamol in gestation, not a single reputable study has definitively established that the usage of paracetamol in any stage of pregnancy causes neurological conditions in young ones," the group said.
The lawsuit cites recent announcements from the former administration in claiming the drug is potentially dangerous.
Recently, Trump raised alarms from public health officials when he instructed pregnant women to "resist strongly" not to use acetaminophen when ill.
The US Food and Drug Administration then released a statement that medical professionals should contemplate reducing the consumption of Tylenol, while also declaring that "a proven link" between the drug and autism in children has not been proven.
Health Secretary Kennedy, who supervises the Food and Drug Administration, had vowed in spring to undertake "a massive testing and research effort" that would identify the origin of autism in a limited time.
But specialists cautioned that identifying a single cause of autism spectrum disorder - thought by researchers to be the outcome of a complex mix of inherited and external influences - would not be simple.
Autism spectrum disorder is a form of enduring cognitive variation and impairment that influences how individuals encounter and relate to the surroundings, and is diagnosed using doctors' observations.
In his court filing, Paxton - who supports Trump who is seeking federal office - asserts the manufacturer and J&J "willfully ignored and tried to quiet the research" around acetaminophen and autism.
The case aims to force the firms "destroy any promotional materials" that claims Tylenol is reliable for expectant mothers.
The Texas lawsuit parallels the grievances of a group of guardians of children with autism spectrum disorder and ADHD who took legal action against the makers of Tylenol in two years ago.
The court dismissed the lawsuit, stating investigations from the plaintiffs' authorities was inconclusive.