Texas Attorney General Sues Acetaminophen Makers Over Autism Assertions
The top legal official in Texas Paxton is filing a lawsuit against the makers of acetaminophen, asserting the firms hid safety concerns that the pain reliever created to pediatric brain development.
The court filing arrives a month after Donald Trump publicized an unproven link between consuming Tylenol - also known as acetaminophen - during pregnancy and autism spectrum disorder in young ones.
The attorney general is taking legal action against J&J, which formerly manufactured the drug, the only pain reliever recommended for pregnant women, and the current manufacturer, which now manufacturers it.
In a official comment, he claimed they "deceived the public by making money from pain and promoting medication ignoring the dangers."
The company asserts there is insufficient reliable data tying Tylenol to autism spectrum disorder.
"These companies deceived for years, knowingly endangering countless individuals to boost earnings," the attorney general, from the Republican party, stated.
The manufacturer stated officially that it was "seriously troubled by the perpetuation of misinformation on the reliability of paracetamol and the possible consequences that could have on the welfare of American women and children."
On its official site, Kenvue also mentioned it had "consistently assessed the pertinent research and there is lacking reliable evidence that shows a verified association between taking acetaminophen and autism spectrum disorder."
Groups acting on behalf of physicians and medical practitioners share this view.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has declared paracetamol - the key substance in Tylenol - is a restricted selection for expectant mothers to treat pain and fever, which can present significant medical dangers if left untreated.
"In over twenty years of research on the consumption of paracetamol in gestation, zero credible investigations has definitively established that the usage of acetaminophen in any stage of gestation leads to neurodevelopmental disorders in children," the association said.
The lawsuit cites current declarations from the Trump administration in claiming the medication is allegedly unsafe.
Recently, Trump generated worry from public health officials when he instructed expectant mothers to "struggle intensely" not to take acetaminophen when sick.
The US Food and Drug Administration then released a statement that doctors should consider limiting the use of Tylenol, while also declaring that "a causal relationship" between the drug and autism spectrum disorder in children has not been proven.
The Health Department head RFK Jr, who supervises the Food and Drug Administration, had promised in spring to initiate "a massive testing and research effort" that would establish the cause of autism spectrum disorder in a limited time.
But specialists cautioned that identifying a single cause of autism spectrum disorder - considered by experts to be the outcome of a complex mix of inherited and environmental factors - would not be simple.
Autism spectrum disorder is a category of lifelong neurodivergence and impairment that impacts how persons perceive and relate to the environment, and is diagnosed using doctors' observations.
In his lawsuit, the attorney general - a Trump ally who is campaigning for the Senate - claims Kenvue and Johnson & Johnson "willfully ignored and sought to suppress the research" around paracetamol and autism spectrum disorder.
This legal action aims to force the companies "eliminate any marketing or advertising" that claims Tylenol is secure for women during pregnancy.
This legal action mirrors the complaints of a assembly of mothers and fathers of young ones with autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder who sued the makers of Tylenol in 2022.
Judicial authorities threw out the lawsuit, saying investigations from the parents' expert witnesses was not conclusive.