The State of Texas Top Legal Officer Sues Acetaminophen Producers Over Autism Spectrum Claims
The top legal official in Texas Ken Paxton is filing a lawsuit against the producers of acetaminophen, claiming the corporations hid safety concerns that the drug created to pediatric cognitive development.
This legal action arrives thirty days after Former President Trump advocated an unproven link between taking acetaminophen - alternatively called acetaminophen - during pregnancy and autism in children.
Paxton is filing suit against Johnson & Johnson, which formerly manufactured the drug, the exclusive pain medication approved for pregnant women, and the current manufacturer, which now manufacturers it.
In a official comment, he claimed they "misled consumers by profiting off of suffering and marketing drugs regardless of the risks."
Kenvue says there is insufficient reliable data connecting Tylenol to autism.
"These corporations deceived for years, intentionally threatening numerous people to boost earnings," the attorney general, from the Republican party, declared.
Kenvue stated officially that it was "seriously troubled by the perpetuation of misinformation on the reliability of acetaminophen and the possible consequences that could have on the health of American women and children."
On its online platform, Kenvue also stated it had "continuously evaluated the relevant science and there is insufficient valid information that shows a proven link between using paracetamol and autism spectrum disorder."
Associations representing doctors and healthcare providers agree.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has said paracetamol - the primary component in acetaminophen - is one of the few options for pregnant women to address discomfort and fever, which can create major wellness concerns if left untreated.
"In over twenty years of research on the utilization of acetaminophen in gestation, zero credible investigations has successfully concluded that the usage of paracetamol in any period of pregnancy causes neurodevelopmental disorders in young ones," the association commented.
The court filing mentions latest statements from the previous government in claiming the medication is reportedly hazardous.
Last month, the former president caused concern from medical authorities when he advised women during pregnancy to "fight like hell" not to consume acetaminophen when ill.
Federal regulators then issued a notice that medical professionals should consider limiting the usage of acetaminophen, while also mentioning that "a proven link" between the drug and autism in children has not been proven.
The Health Department head Kennedy, who manages the FDA, had promised in April to conduct "comprehensive study program" that would establish the source of autism spectrum disorder in a matter of months.
But experts cautioned that discovering a unique factor of autism spectrum disorder - considered by experts to be the consequence of a complicated interplay of inherited and surrounding conditions - would prove challenging.
Autism is a category of lifelong neurodivergence and disability that affects how persons perceive and interact with the environment, and is diagnosed using doctors' observations.
In his legal document, Paxton - a Trump ally who is running for federal office - asserts Kenvue and Johnson & Johnson "deliberately disregarded and sought to suppress the science" around paracetamol and autism.
The case attempts to require the companies "destroy any promotional materials" that claims acetaminophen is reliable for expectant mothers.
The Texas lawsuit echoes the concerns of a collection of mothers and fathers of minors with autism spectrum disorder and ADHD who took legal action against the makers of Tylenol in 2022.
A federal judge threw out the legal action, saying studies from the parents' expert witnesses was inconclusive.