The State of Texas Top Legal Officer Sues Tylenol Makers Over Autism Spectrum Assertions
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is suing the producers of acetaminophen, alleging the corporations hid safety concerns that the pain reliever created to children's brain development.
The court filing comes a month after President Donald Trump publicized an unverified association between consuming acetaminophen - alternatively called acetaminophen - while pregnant and autism spectrum disorder in children.
The attorney general is filing suit against J&J, which formerly manufactured the medication, the sole analgesic approved for women during pregnancy, and Kenvue, which currently produces it.
In a declaration, he claimed they "betrayed America by profiting off of discomfort and marketing drugs regardless of the dangers."
The company says there is insufficient reliable data connecting Tylenol to autism spectrum disorder.
"These corporations deceived for years, knowingly endangering countless individuals to line their pockets," Paxton, a Republican, stated.
Kenvue commented that it was "seriously troubled by the dissemination of inaccurate information on the reliability of acetaminophen and the likely effects that could have on the well-being of US mothers and children."
On its online platform, Kenvue also stated it had "continuously evaluated the applicable studies and there is no credible data that demonstrates a proven link between using paracetamol and autism."
Groups acting on behalf of doctors and health professionals concur.
ACOG has said paracetamol - the main ingredient in Tylenol - is among limited choices for pregnant women to address pain and elevated temperature, which can pose major wellness concerns if not addressed.
"In multiple decades of investigation on the use of paracetamol in pregnancy, not a single reputable study has definitively established that the usage of acetaminophen in any stage of gestation leads to brain development issues in young ones," the organization commented.
The court filing references latest statements from the previous government in arguing the drug is reportedly hazardous.
Last month, Trump raised alarms from public health officials when he instructed pregnant women to "struggle intensely" not to consume Tylenol when sick.
The FDA then released a statement that doctors should contemplate reducing the use of Tylenol, while also declaring that "a causal relationship" between the medication and autism spectrum disorder in minors has remains unverified.
The Health Department head Robert F Kennedy Jr, who manages the Food and Drug Administration, had pledged in spring to undertake "a massive testing and research effort" that would establish the origin of autism spectrum disorder in a short period.
But authorities warned that identifying a single cause of autism spectrum disorder - thought by researchers to be the result of a complicated interplay of genetic and surrounding conditions - would not be simple.
Autism spectrum disorder is a category of permanent neurological difference and impairment that influences how individuals experience and engage with the environment, and is diagnosed using medical professional evaluations.
In his legal document, Paxton - a Trump ally who is seeking federal office - alleges Kenvue and Johnson & Johnson "willfully ignored and attempted to silence the science" around paracetamol and autism spectrum disorder.
The lawsuit attempts to require the companies "remove any commercial messaging" that claims Tylenol is reliable for expectant mothers.
The court case parallels the complaints of a assembly of guardians of children with autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder who took legal action against the manufacturers of acetaminophen in recently.
A federal judge threw out the lawsuit, stating studies from the parents' expert witnesses was not conclusive.