The State of Texas Attorney General Files Lawsuit Against Acetaminophen Producers Concerning Autism Assertions
The top legal official in Texas Paxton is suing the manufacturers of Tylenol, claiming the firms hid alleged dangers that the drug posed to pediatric cognitive development.
This legal action arrives thirty days after President Donald Trump promoted an unverified association between taking Tylenol - also known as paracetamol - while pregnant and autism in offspring.
The attorney general is filing suit against Johnson & Johnson, which formerly manufactured the medication, the sole analgesic recommended for pregnant women, and Kenvue, which currently produces it.
In a official comment, he said they "misled consumers by making money from discomfort and marketing drugs ignoring the dangers."
The manufacturer states there is insufficient reliable data linking Tylenol to autism.
"These corporations lied for decades, knowingly endangering millions to boost earnings," the attorney general, from the Republican party, declared.
The company said in a statement that it was "seriously troubled by the perpetuation of misinformation on the reliability of paracetamol and the likely effects that could have on the welfare of US mothers and children."
On its website, the company also mentioned it had "regularly reviewed the pertinent research and there is insufficient valid information that indicates a verified association between taking paracetamol and autism."
Groups representing doctors and medical practitioners agree.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has stated paracetamol - the primary component in Tylenol - is a restricted selection for women during pregnancy to treat pain and fever, which can pose significant medical dangers if ignored.
"In more than two decades of investigation on the utilization of acetaminophen in pregnancy, zero credible investigations has conclusively proven that the usage of paracetamol in any period of pregnancy leads to brain development issues in offspring," the association commented.
The lawsuit cites current declarations from the previous government in asserting the drug is potentially dangerous.
In recent weeks, Trump raised alarms from public health officials when he told expectant mothers to "resist strongly" not to use acetaminophen when sick.
The FDA then issued a notice that medical professionals should think about restricting the consumption of Tylenol, while also mentioning that "a direct connection" between the drug and autism spectrum disorder in young ones has remains unverified.
Health Secretary RFK Jr, who manages the FDA, had vowed in spring to undertake "extensive scientific investigation" that would determine the source of autism in a short period.
But authorities warned that discovering a unique factor of autism spectrum disorder - believed by scientists to be the outcome of a complex mix of genetic and environmental factors - would be difficult.
Autism is a type of lifelong neurodivergence and condition that influences how individuals experience and interact with the world, and is recognized using medical professional evaluations.
In his lawsuit, Paxton - aligned with the former president who is campaigning for the Senate - asserts the manufacturer and J&J "willfully ignored and tried to quiet the science" around acetaminophen and autism spectrum disorder.
The lawsuit seeks to make the companies "destroy any marketing or advertising" that claims acetaminophen is secure for expectant mothers.
The Texas lawsuit parallels the complaints of a group of mothers and fathers of children with autism and ADHD who sued the producers of acetaminophen in 2022.
Judicial authorities rejected the lawsuit, stating research from the parents' expert witnesses was inconclusive.