Texas Top Legal Officer Takes Legal Action Against Tylenol Makers Over Autism Claims
Texas Attorney General Paxton is taking legal action against the makers of Tylenol, asserting the firms concealed safety concerns that the drug created to pediatric cognitive development.
The court filing comes thirty days after President Donald Trump publicized an unproven link between consuming Tylenol - also known as paracetamol - throughout gestation and autism spectrum disorder in young ones.
The attorney general is suing the pharmaceutical giant, which formerly manufactured the drug, the exclusive pain medication approved for pregnant women, and the current manufacturer, which presently makes it.
In a declaration, he stated they "betrayed America by profiting off of suffering and marketing drugs regardless of the risks."
Kenvue says there is lacking scientific proof tying Tylenol to autism.
"These manufacturers misled for generations, knowingly endangering numerous people to boost earnings," Paxton, from the Republican party, said.
The company commented that it was "deeply concerned by the spread of false claims on the security of paracetamol and the potential impact that could have on the welfare of US mothers and children."
On its online platform, Kenvue also stated it had "regularly reviewed the pertinent research and there is lacking reliable evidence that shows a proven link between taking acetaminophen and autism spectrum disorder."
Associations acting on behalf of doctors and health professionals concur.
ACOG has said paracetamol - the main ingredient in acetaminophen - is one of the few options for pregnant women to treat discomfort and fever, which can pose significant medical dangers if ignored.
"In more than two decades of studies on the consumption of acetaminophen in gestation, zero credible investigations has conclusively proven that the usage of paracetamol in any trimester of pregnancy causes neurological conditions in offspring," the organization said.
This legal action references latest statements from the previous government in asserting the medication is allegedly unsafe.
In recent weeks, the former president generated worry from medical authorities when he advised expectant mothers to "fight like hell" not to take Tylenol when sick.
The US Food and Drug Administration then published an announcement that physicians should think about restricting the use of Tylenol, while also stating that "a direct connection" between the drug and autism spectrum disorder in young ones has not been established.
Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr, who manages the Food and Drug Administration, had vowed in spring to initiate "extensive scientific investigation" that would identify the source of autism spectrum disorder in a limited time.
But specialists warned that identifying a sole reason of autism - believed by scientists to be the result of a complex mix of genetic and environmental factors - would not be simple.
Autism is a form of permanent neurological difference and impairment that impacts how individuals encounter and relate to the environment, and is diagnosed using physician assessments.
In his lawsuit, Paxton - aligned with the former president who is campaigning for federal office - asserts the manufacturer and J&J "intentionally overlooked and attempted to silence the research" around acetaminophen and autism.
The case seeks to make the companies "remove any marketing or advertising" that states Tylenol is secure for pregnant women.
This legal action echoes the concerns of a collection of parents of minors with autism spectrum disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder who sued the producers of acetaminophen in two years ago.
Judicial authorities threw out the lawsuit, declaring investigations from the plaintiffs' authorities was inconclusive.