The State of Texas Top Legal Officer Sues Acetaminophen Makers Over Autism Spectrum Allegations
The top legal official in Texas Ken Paxton is filing a lawsuit against the makers of acetaminophen, asserting the corporations withheld potential risks that the pain reliever presented to pediatric cognitive development.
The lawsuit comes a month after Donald Trump advocated an unsubstantiated connection between taking acetaminophen - referred to as paracetamol - while pregnant and autism in young ones.
The attorney general is suing J&J, which once produced the drug, the only pain reliever suggested for expectant mothers, and Kenvue, which currently produces it.
In a official comment, he said they "betrayed America by profiting off of suffering and promoting medication ignoring the potential hazards."
The company states there is lacking scientific proof connecting 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.
Kenvue commented that it was "deeply concerned by the spread of false claims on the safety of acetaminophen and the possible consequences that could have on the welfare of US mothers and children."
On its official site, the company also mentioned it had "regularly reviewed the applicable studies and there is lacking reliable evidence that demonstrates a established connection between consuming acetaminophen and autism."
Organizations speaking for medical professionals and healthcare providers agree.
ACOG has said paracetamol - the main ingredient in Tylenol - is among limited choices for expectant mothers to address discomfort and elevated temperature, which can create serious health risks if left untreated.
"In multiple decades of investigation on the consumption of acetaminophen in pregnancy, zero credible investigations has definitively established that the use of paracetamol in any period of pregnancy leads to neurodevelopmental disorders in offspring," the organization stated.
This legal action references latest statements from the former administration in arguing the drug is reportedly hazardous.
In recent weeks, Trump caused concern from public health officials when he instructed women during pregnancy to "fight like hell" not to consume acetaminophen when unwell.
The FDA then issued a notice that medical professionals should think about restricting the use of acetaminophen, while also declaring that "a causal relationship" between the drug and autism in young ones has not been established.
The Health Department head RFK Jr, who supervises the FDA, had vowed in spring to conduct "comprehensive study program" that would establish the cause of autism in a short period.
But specialists cautioned that discovering a single cause of autism - believed by scientists to be the outcome of a intricate combination of inherited and external influences - would prove challenging.
Autism is a type of enduring cognitive variation and disability that impacts how persons encounter and interact with the world, and is recognized using physician assessments.
In his legal document, the attorney general - who supports Trump who is running for US Senate - claims Kenvue and Johnson & Johnson "willfully ignored and tried to quiet the science" around paracetamol and autism.
The lawsuit attempts to require the companies "destroy any marketing or advertising" that states acetaminophen is secure for women during pregnancy.
This legal action parallels the concerns of a group of parents of young ones with autism and ADHD who sued the producers of Tylenol in recently.
A federal judge threw out the case, stating research from the plaintiffs' authorities was not conclusive.