The State of Texas Attorney General Files Lawsuit Against Tylenol Makers Concerning Autism Allegations
The top legal official in Texas Paxton is suing the manufacturers of acetaminophen, alleging the firms withheld alleged dangers that the pain reliever posed to children's neurological development.
The lawsuit follows a month after Former President Trump promoted an unsubstantiated connection between taking Tylenol - also known as paracetamol - during pregnancy and autism spectrum disorder in offspring.
The attorney general is taking legal action against J&J, which previously sold the drug, the only pain reliever approved for women during pregnancy, and Kenvue, which currently produces it.
In a declaration, he stated they "deceived the public by profiting off of discomfort and pushing pills ignoring the risks."
The company states there is no credible evidence connecting acetaminophen to autism spectrum disorder.
"These manufacturers lied for decades, knowingly endangering millions to boost earnings," Paxton, a Republican, stated.
The manufacturer stated officially that it was "very worried by the spread of false claims on the reliability of acetaminophen and the possible consequences that could have on the welfare of women and children in America."
On its official site, the company also stated it had "regularly reviewed the relevant science and there is insufficient valid information that indicates a established connection between consuming paracetamol and autism spectrum disorder."
Associations speaking for doctors and medical practitioners share this view.
ACOG has stated paracetamol - the main ingredient in Tylenol - is one of the few options for pregnant women to treat pain and elevated temperature, which can pose serious health risks if ignored.
"In over twenty years of research on the utilization of acetaminophen in gestation, not a single reputable study has conclusively proven that the use of acetaminophen in any period of pregnancy causes neurological conditions in offspring," the group commented.
The court filing cites recent announcements from the Trump administration in asserting the medication is potentially dangerous.
Recently, the former president generated worry from medical authorities when he instructed expectant mothers to "resist strongly" not to use Tylenol when unwell.
Federal regulators then released a statement that physicians should think about restricting the consumption of Tylenol, while also declaring that "a proven link" between the medication and autism in children has not been proven.
The Health Department head RFK Jr, who supervises the FDA, had pledged in spring to conduct "comprehensive study program" that would identify the source of autism spectrum disorder in a limited time.
But experts warned that identifying a single cause of autism spectrum disorder - believed by scientists to be the outcome of a complex mix of inherited and external influences - would not be simple.
Autism is a form of permanent neurological difference and disability that influences how persons encounter and engage with the world, and is diagnosed using physician assessments.
In his court filing, Paxton - aligned with the former president who is campaigning for the Senate - alleges the manufacturer and J&J "deliberately disregarded and sought to suppress the evidence" around acetaminophen and autism.
The case attempts to require the firms "destroy any commercial messaging" that states acetaminophen is reliable for pregnant women.
The Texas lawsuit mirrors the grievances of a group of guardians of young ones with autism and ADHD who took legal action against the producers of Tylenol in 2022.
A federal judge dismissed the legal action, saying studies from the parents' expert witnesses was inconclusive.