The State of Texas Top Legal Officer Sues Tylenol Makers Over Autism Assertions
Texas Attorney General Paxton is taking legal action against the makers of Tylenol, asserting the firms hid potential risks that the drug created to children's brain development.
The court filing follows four weeks after President Donald Trump publicized an unsubstantiated connection between consuming acetaminophen - referred to as paracetamol - while pregnant and autism in children.
Paxton is suing Johnson & Johnson, which once produced the medication, the only pain reliever approved for women during pregnancy, and Kenvue, which now manufacturers it.
In a official comment, he said they "misled consumers by gaining financially from discomfort and marketing drugs regardless of the potential hazards."
Kenvue asserts there is lacking scientific proof tying acetaminophen to autism.
"These companies lied for decades, intentionally threatening countless individuals to boost earnings," Paxton, a Republican, declared.
The manufacturer stated officially that it was "very worried by the spread of false claims on the reliability of acetaminophen and the likely effects that could have on the well-being of American women and children."
On its official site, Kenvue also mentioned it had "continuously evaluated the relevant science and there is lacking reliable evidence that demonstrates a proven link between taking paracetamol and autism spectrum disorder."
Groups representing medical professionals and medical practitioners share this view.
The leading OB-GYN organization has declared acetaminophen - the primary component in Tylenol - is one of the few options for expectant mothers to address pain and fever, which can pose major wellness concerns if ignored.
"In over twenty years of research on the use of paracetamol in gestation, zero credible investigations has definitively established that the consumption of acetaminophen in any trimester of gestation leads to brain development issues in offspring," the organization stated.
The lawsuit mentions recent announcements from the previous government in arguing the drug is potentially dangerous.
In recent weeks, Trump generated worry from medical authorities when he told pregnant women to "struggle intensely" not to use acetaminophen when ill.
The FDA then issued a notice that medical professionals should contemplate reducing the usage of Tylenol, while also mentioning that "a direct connection" between the drug and autism in minors has remains unverified.
The Health Department head Kennedy, who oversees the Food and Drug Administration, had vowed in spring to initiate "a massive testing and research effort" that would establish the cause of autism spectrum disorder in a matter of months.
But specialists cautioned that identifying a unique factor of autism spectrum disorder - considered by experts to be the result of a complex mix of genetic and environmental factors - would not be simple.
Autism is a category of lifelong neurodivergence and disability that affects how individuals encounter and engage with the surroundings, and is recognized using medical professional evaluations.
In his court filing, Paxton - a Trump ally who is seeking federal office - claims the manufacturer and Johnson & Johnson "intentionally overlooked and tried to quiet the evidence" around paracetamol and autism.
The lawsuit seeks to make the corporations "eliminate any marketing or advertising" that claims Tylenol is secure for pregnant women.
The Texas lawsuit mirrors the grievances of a group of mothers and fathers of minors with autism and ADHD who sued the makers of acetaminophen in two years ago.
Judicial authorities rejected the case, stating studies from the plaintiffs' authorities was inconclusive.