Texas Attorney General Sues Tylenol Manufacturers Over Autism Spectrum Claims
Texas Attorney General Paxton is taking legal action against the makers of acetaminophen, alleging the firms hid safety concerns that the medication presented to children's brain development.
The lawsuit comes thirty days after Former President Trump publicized an unproven link between consuming acetaminophen - alternatively called paracetamol - during pregnancy and autism spectrum disorder in offspring.
Paxton is filing suit against the pharmaceutical giant, which previously sold the medication, the only pain reliever suggested for women during pregnancy, and Kenvue, which presently makes it.
In a statement, he stated they "misled consumers by profiting off of discomfort and promoting medication ignoring the risks."
The manufacturer says there is insufficient reliable data tying Tylenol to autism spectrum disorder.
"These manufacturers lied for decades, deliberately risking countless individuals to boost earnings," Paxton, a Republican, stated.
The manufacturer said in a statement that it was "very worried by the spread of false claims on the reliability of paracetamol and the potential impact that could have on the well-being of women and children in America."
On its online platform, the company also mentioned it had "regularly reviewed the applicable studies and there is no credible data that shows a proven link between consuming acetaminophen and autism."
Associations speaking for doctors and health professionals concur.
The leading OB-GYN organization has said paracetamol - the main ingredient in Tylenol - is one of the few options for women during pregnancy to address discomfort and fever, which can present significant medical dangers if not addressed.
"In over twenty years of research on the use of paracetamol in pregnancy, not a single reputable study has definitively established that the consumption of paracetamol in any period of gestation leads to neurodevelopmental disorders in children," the association stated.
The lawsuit cites current declarations from the previous government in arguing the medication is allegedly unsafe.
Last month, Trump generated worry from medical authorities when he instructed pregnant women to "struggle intensely" not to consume acetaminophen when ill.
Federal regulators then published an announcement that doctors should think about restricting the consumption of acetaminophen, while also stating that "a direct connection" between the medication and autism spectrum disorder in young ones has not been established.
The Health Department head RFK Jr, who manages the FDA, had vowed in spring to initiate "a massive testing and research effort" that would identify the cause of autism spectrum disorder in a limited time.
But specialists advised that identifying a sole reason of autism spectrum disorder - thought by researchers to be the consequence of a complex mix of genetic and external influences - would prove challenging.
Autism is a type of lifelong neurodivergence and condition that impacts how individuals experience and engage with the surroundings, and is identified using medical professional evaluations.
In his legal document, the attorney general - aligned with the former president who is campaigning for US Senate - asserts Kenvue and J&J "intentionally overlooked and sought to suppress the science" around acetaminophen and autism.
The case aims to force the corporations "destroy any commercial messaging" that claims acetaminophen is secure for expectant mothers.
This legal action parallels the complaints of a group of parents of young ones with autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder who filed suit against the manufacturers of Tylenol in 2022.
A federal judge rejected the lawsuit, stating research from the plaintiffs' authorities was not conclusive.