The State of Texas Top Legal Officer Takes Legal Action Against Acetaminophen Manufacturers Concerning Autism Claims
The top legal official in Texas Paxton is taking legal action against the manufacturers of acetaminophen, asserting the corporations withheld potential risks that the drug posed to children's neurological development.
This legal action comes four weeks after President Donald Trump promoted an unverified association between using Tylenol - alternatively called paracetamol - while pregnant and autism spectrum disorder in offspring.
The attorney general is taking legal action against Johnson & Johnson, which previously sold the medication, the sole analgesic suggested for women during pregnancy, and the current manufacturer, which currently produces it.
In a statement, he said they "misled consumers by profiting off of pain and promoting medication without regard for the dangers."
The manufacturer says there is no credible evidence linking Tylenol to autism.
"These companies deceived for years, knowingly endangering countless individuals to boost earnings," the attorney general, from the Republican party, declared.
Kenvue commented that it was "deeply concerned by the dissemination of inaccurate information on the security of acetaminophen and the potential impact that could have on the welfare of American women and children."
On its website, Kenvue also said it had "continuously evaluated the relevant science and there is insufficient valid information that shows a proven link between taking paracetamol and autism spectrum disorder."
Associations speaking for physicians and medical practitioners share this view.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has said acetaminophen - the main ingredient in acetaminophen - is one of the few options for expectant mothers to treat discomfort and elevated temperature, which can pose significant medical dangers if not addressed.
"In over twenty years of research on the use of paracetamol in gestation, not a single reputable study has definitively established that the usage of acetaminophen in any period of pregnancy causes neurological conditions in children," the group stated.
The court filing references current declarations from the Trump administration in arguing the medication is potentially dangerous.
Last month, Trump generated worry from medical authorities when he told women during pregnancy to "resist strongly" not to consume Tylenol when unwell.
The FDA then issued a notice that medical professionals should think about restricting the usage of Tylenol, while also stating that "a proven link" between the medication and autism in children has remains unverified.
Health Secretary Kennedy, who oversees the FDA, had promised in spring to initiate "extensive scientific investigation" that would identify the cause of autism in a limited time.
But specialists warned that identifying a unique factor of autism - considered by experts to be the outcome of a intricate combination of genetic and external influences - would not be simple.
Autism is a form of lifelong neurodivergence and impairment that impacts how individuals perceive and relate to the world, and is diagnosed using physician assessments.
In his court filing, the attorney general - aligned with the former president who is campaigning for US Senate - asserts the manufacturer and J&J "deliberately disregarded and tried to quiet the research" around acetaminophen and autism.
The case attempts to require the corporations "remove any commercial messaging" that states Tylenol is safe for women during pregnancy.
The court case echoes the grievances of a assembly of mothers and fathers of young ones with autism spectrum disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder who sued the makers of acetaminophen in 2022.
Judicial authorities threw out the legal action, declaring research from the plaintiffs' authorities was not conclusive.