Texas Top Legal Officer Files Lawsuit Against Tylenol Makers Concerning Autism Claims
The top legal official in Texas Paxton is suing the manufacturers of Tylenol, asserting the firms hid alleged dangers that the medication posed to children's brain development.
The lawsuit arrives a month after Former President Trump publicized an unverified association between using Tylenol - alternatively called acetaminophen - while pregnant and autism in offspring.
Paxton is suing J&J, which previously sold the drug, the sole analgesic recommended for women during pregnancy, and the current manufacturer, which now manufacturers it.
In a official comment, he stated they "misled consumers by profiting off of pain and marketing drugs ignoring the potential hazards."
The manufacturer says there is no credible evidence tying acetaminophen to autism spectrum disorder.
"These manufacturers lied for decades, deliberately risking numerous people to boost earnings," the attorney general, a Republican, said.
The company said in a statement that it was "very worried by the spread of false claims on the security of acetaminophen and the likely effects that could have on the health of US mothers and children."
On its official site, Kenvue also stated it had "consistently assessed the applicable studies and there is no credible data that demonstrates a established connection between taking acetaminophen and autism spectrum disorder."
Associations speaking for doctors and healthcare providers agree.
The leading OB-GYN organization has said paracetamol - the key substance in Tylenol - is a restricted selection for pregnant women to address discomfort and elevated temperature, which can present serious health risks if left untreated.
"In over twenty years of research on the use of paracetamol in gestation, not a single reputable study has conclusively proven that the use of paracetamol in any stage of pregnancy results in brain development issues in young ones," the association commented.
The court filing mentions recent announcements from the previous government in asserting the drug is potentially dangerous.
Recently, Trump generated worry from public health officials when he advised pregnant women to "struggle intensely" not to use Tylenol when unwell.
Federal regulators then released a statement that physicians should think about restricting the usage of Tylenol, while also declaring that "a direct connection" between the drug and autism in minors has not been proven.
The Health Department head Robert F Kennedy Jr, who oversees the FDA, had vowed in spring to initiate "comprehensive study program" that would identify the origin of autism in a matter of months.
But specialists warned that identifying a single cause of autism spectrum disorder - believed by scientists to be the outcome of a complex mix of inherited and external influences - would not be simple.
Autism spectrum disorder is a form of lifelong neurodivergence and condition that affects how persons experience and interact with the world, and is diagnosed using medical professional evaluations.
In his lawsuit, the attorney general - a Trump ally who is campaigning for the Senate - alleges the manufacturer and Johnson & Johnson "willfully ignored and tried to quiet the science" around paracetamol and autism spectrum disorder.
This legal action aims to force the firms "remove any commercial messaging" that claims Tylenol is secure for pregnant women.
The court case mirrors the complaints of a collection of guardians of children with autism and ADHD who sued the producers of Tylenol in recently.
A federal judge threw out the legal action, stating research from the plaintiffs' authorities was inconclusive.