The State of Texas Top Legal Officer Sues Acetaminophen Manufacturers Concerning Autism Assertions
Texas Attorney General Paxton is taking legal action against the producers of acetaminophen, claiming the firms hid potential risks that the pain reliever created to children's brain development.
The lawsuit comes four weeks after President Donald Trump advocated an unverified association between consuming acetaminophen - also known as paracetamol - throughout gestation and autism spectrum disorder in young ones.
The attorney general is taking legal action against J&J, which once produced the drug, the only pain reliever approved for expectant mothers, and Kenvue, which currently produces it.
In a statement, he said they "misled consumers by gaining financially from discomfort and promoting medication ignoring the potential hazards."
The company asserts there is no credible evidence linking Tylenol to autism.
"These manufacturers lied for decades, intentionally threatening millions to boost earnings," Paxton, from the Republican party, said.
The manufacturer commented that it was "deeply concerned by the spread of false claims on the safety of acetaminophen and the potential impact that could have on the well-being of American women and children."
On its website, the company also mentioned it had "consistently assessed the relevant science and there is lacking reliable evidence that shows a proven link between consuming paracetamol and autism spectrum disorder."
Organizations speaking for physicians and healthcare providers agree.
ACOG has said acetaminophen - the main ingredient in acetaminophen - is a restricted selection for women during pregnancy to manage pain and fever, which can create major wellness concerns if ignored.
"In over twenty years of research on the utilization of paracetamol in pregnancy, not a single reputable study has conclusively proven that the consumption of paracetamol in any trimester of pregnancy causes neurological conditions in children," the organization said.
The court filing references recent announcements from the former administration in arguing the medication is potentially dangerous.
In recent weeks, the former president caused concern from medical authorities when he instructed women during pregnancy to "struggle intensely" not to use Tylenol when unwell.
The US Food and Drug Administration then published an announcement that physicians should think about restricting the usage of Tylenol, while also declaring that "a direct connection" between the medication and autism in minors has not been established.
The Health Department head Robert F Kennedy Jr, who oversees the FDA, had vowed in spring to initiate "extensive scientific investigation" that would identify the origin of autism in a matter of months.
But authorities advised that identifying a unique factor of autism spectrum disorder - considered by experts to be the result of a complex mix of inherited and external influences - would prove challenging.
Autism spectrum disorder is a category of permanent neurological difference and impairment that impacts how individuals experience and interact with the surroundings, and is identified using physician assessments.
In his legal document, the attorney general - a Trump ally who is campaigning for US Senate - claims the manufacturer and J&J "willfully ignored and attempted to silence the science" around paracetamol and autism spectrum disorder.
The lawsuit seeks to make the corporations "remove any marketing or advertising" that asserts Tylenol is safe for women during pregnancy.
This legal action mirrors the grievances of a assembly of parents of young ones with autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder who filed suit against the producers of acetaminophen in recently.
The court rejected the case, declaring studies from the parents' expert witnesses was lacking definitive proof.