Texas Top Legal Officer Takes Legal Action Against Acetaminophen Manufacturers Concerning Autism Claims
Texas Attorney General Paxton is filing a lawsuit against the producers of acetaminophen, alleging the corporations hid potential risks that the pain reliever created to pediatric brain development.
The lawsuit follows four weeks after President Donald Trump promoted an unproven link between using Tylenol - referred to as paracetamol - while pregnant and autism spectrum disorder in children.
Paxton is filing suit against J&J, which once produced the medication, the sole analgesic suggested for pregnant women, and Kenvue, which presently makes it.
In a declaration, he said they "misled consumers by profiting off of pain and pushing pills ignoring the dangers."
The manufacturer states there is insufficient reliable data linking acetaminophen to autism.
"These manufacturers deceived for years, intentionally threatening numerous people to boost earnings," the attorney general, a Republican, stated.
The manufacturer commented that it was "seriously troubled by the spread of false claims on the security of paracetamol and the likely effects that could have on the health of US mothers and children."
On its official site, the company also said it had "continuously evaluated the relevant science and there is lacking reliable evidence that demonstrates a proven link between using paracetamol and autism."
Associations representing doctors and healthcare providers share this view.
ACOG has stated acetaminophen - the key substance in Tylenol - is among limited choices for women during pregnancy to manage discomfort and elevated temperature, which can present serious health risks if ignored.
"In multiple decades of research on the use of paracetamol in gestation, no reliable research has definitively established that the usage of paracetamol in any period of gestation leads to brain development issues in young ones," the group said.
The lawsuit cites recent announcements from the previous government in claiming the medication is potentially dangerous.
Last month, the former president caused concern from public health officials when he instructed women during pregnancy to "struggle intensely" not to use Tylenol when ill.
The FDA then issued a notice that doctors should consider limiting the consumption of acetaminophen, while also declaring that "a causal relationship" between the drug and autism spectrum disorder in young ones has not been established.
The Health Department head RFK Jr, who oversees the Food and Drug Administration, had pledged in spring to undertake "extensive scientific investigation" that would establish the source of autism spectrum disorder in a short period.
But authorities cautioned that finding a single cause of autism - considered by experts to be the consequence of a intricate combination of genetic and surrounding conditions - would prove challenging.
Autism is a category of lifelong neurodivergence and disability that impacts how individuals experience and relate to the surroundings, and is recognized using physician assessments.
In his court filing, the attorney general - a Trump ally who is campaigning for US Senate - alleges Kenvue and Johnson & Johnson "intentionally overlooked and tried to quiet the evidence" around acetaminophen and autism spectrum disorder.
The lawsuit attempts to require the firms "destroy any commercial messaging" that asserts acetaminophen is secure for pregnant women.
The Texas lawsuit mirrors the grievances of a group of parents of minors with autism spectrum disorder and ADHD who sued the producers of acetaminophen in 2022.
A federal judge rejected the case, declaring research from the plaintiffs' authorities was not conclusive.