Texas Top Legal Officer Files Lawsuit Against Tylenol Manufacturers Over Autism Spectrum Claims
Texas Attorney General Paxton is suing the producers of Tylenol, alleging the companies withheld alleged dangers that the medication posed to pediatric brain development.
This legal action arrives a month after Former President Trump publicized an unsubstantiated connection between using acetaminophen - referred to as paracetamol - during pregnancy and autism spectrum disorder in children.
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 statement, he said they "misled consumers by profiting off of pain and promoting medication without regard for the potential hazards."
Kenvue asserts there is no credible evidence linking Tylenol to autism spectrum disorder.
"These corporations misled for generations, knowingly endangering millions to boost earnings," the attorney general, a Republican, stated.
The manufacturer commented that it was "deeply concerned by the perpetuation of misinformation on the safety of paracetamol and the potential impact that could have on the well-being of American women and children."
On its online platform, Kenvue also mentioned it had "regularly reviewed the applicable studies and there is insufficient valid information that indicates a proven link between consuming acetaminophen and autism spectrum disorder."
Associations representing medical professionals and medical practitioners concur.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has said acetaminophen - the main ingredient in acetaminophen - is one of the few options for women during pregnancy to address pain and fever, which can pose significant medical dangers if ignored.
"In over twenty years of studies on the use of paracetamol in gestation, not a single reputable study has successfully concluded that the consumption of acetaminophen in any period of pregnancy leads to neurological conditions in young ones," the association said.
The lawsuit cites recent announcements from the previous government in asserting the medication is reportedly hazardous.
In recent weeks, Trump raised alarms from health experts when he told pregnant women to "struggle intensely" not to take Tylenol when unwell.
The US Food and Drug Administration then published an announcement that doctors should contemplate reducing the usage of acetaminophen, while also declaring that "a direct connection" between the medication and autism spectrum disorder in young ones has remains unverified.
Health Secretary Kennedy, who supervises the FDA, had promised in spring to initiate "extensive scientific investigation" that would determine the cause of autism in a matter of months.
But authorities warned that discovering a single cause of autism - considered by experts to be the outcome of a complex mix of inherited and surrounding conditions - would be difficult.
Autism spectrum disorder is a type of lifelong neurodivergence and condition that affects how persons experience and interact with the environment, and is identified using physician assessments.
In his legal document, the attorney general - who supports Trump who is campaigning for the Senate - alleges Kenvue and Johnson & Johnson "deliberately disregarded and attempted to silence the research" around paracetamol and autism.
The case aims to force the firms "destroy any marketing or advertising" that claims acetaminophen is reliable for expectant mothers.
The Texas lawsuit echoes the complaints of a group of mothers and fathers of minors with autism and ADHD who took legal action against the producers of acetaminophen in 2022.
Judicial authorities threw out the legal action, declaring research from the family's specialists was inconclusive.