Texas Top Legal Officer Takes Legal Action Against Tylenol Manufacturers Regarding Autism Assertions
Texas Attorney General Paxton is filing a lawsuit against the makers of Tylenol, alleging the companies withheld alleged dangers that the pain reliever presented to children's brain development.
The lawsuit follows thirty days after Former President Trump promoted an unproven link between using acetaminophen - also known as paracetamol - while pregnant and autism spectrum disorder in offspring.
The attorney general is taking legal action against the pharmaceutical giant, which once produced 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 promoting medication without regard for the dangers."
Kenvue asserts there is insufficient reliable data connecting acetaminophen to autism spectrum disorder.
"These companies deceived for years, knowingly endangering numerous people to boost earnings," Paxton, a Republican, stated.
Kenvue stated officially that it was "deeply concerned by the perpetuation of misinformation on the reliability of paracetamol and the possible consequences that could have on the welfare of US mothers and children."
On its website, Kenvue also stated it had "continuously evaluated the pertinent research and there is insufficient valid information that shows a established connection between taking acetaminophen and autism spectrum disorder."
Organizations speaking for doctors and medical practitioners share this view.
The leading OB-GYN organization has stated acetaminophen - the main ingredient in acetaminophen - is a restricted selection for pregnant women to manage pain and elevated temperature, which can present major wellness concerns if left untreated.
"In over twenty years of research on the use of paracetamol in pregnancy, no reliable research has definitively established that the usage of paracetamol in any trimester of pregnancy leads to brain development issues in offspring," the group commented.
This legal action cites recent announcements from the previous government in arguing the medication is allegedly unsafe.
In recent weeks, Trump caused concern from medical authorities when he advised pregnant women to "fight like hell" not to take Tylenol when ill.
Federal regulators then issued a notice that medical professionals should think about restricting the usage of acetaminophen, while also stating that "a direct connection" between the medication and autism spectrum disorder in children has not been established.
Health Secretary Kennedy, who oversees the FDA, had pledged in April to conduct "comprehensive study program" that would determine the origin of autism in a limited time.
But authorities warned that identifying a unique factor of autism spectrum disorder - thought by researchers to be the outcome of a intricate combination of inherited and environmental factors - would not be simple.
Autism spectrum disorder is a category of lifelong neurodivergence and impairment that affects how people encounter and relate to the surroundings, and is diagnosed using doctors' observations.
In his legal document, Paxton - a Trump ally who is seeking the Senate - claims Kenvue and Johnson & Johnson "intentionally overlooked and tried to quiet the research" around acetaminophen and autism spectrum disorder.
The lawsuit seeks to make the companies "destroy any marketing or advertising" that states acetaminophen is safe for pregnant women.
The court case mirrors the concerns of a group of mothers and fathers of young ones with autism spectrum disorder and ADHD who sued the makers of Tylenol in two years ago.
The court dismissed the case, declaring studies from the plaintiffs' authorities was inconclusive.