Texas Top Legal Officer Sues Tylenol Makers Regarding Autism Claims
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is taking legal action against the manufacturers of Tylenol, claiming the firms concealed safety concerns that the medication presented to children's brain development.
The lawsuit arrives four weeks after Donald Trump advocated an unsubstantiated connection between taking acetaminophen - also known as paracetamol - throughout gestation and autism in children.
Paxton is taking legal action against J&J, which previously sold the drug, the exclusive pain medication recommended for expectant mothers, and the current manufacturer, which currently produces it.
In a statement, he stated they "betrayed America by profiting off of suffering and marketing drugs ignoring the potential hazards."
The manufacturer asserts there is lacking scientific proof connecting acetaminophen to autism spectrum disorder.
"These corporations misled for generations, knowingly endangering numerous people to line their pockets," the attorney general, from the Republican party, stated.
The manufacturer said in a statement that it was "deeply concerned by the spread of false claims on the safety of acetaminophen and the possible consequences that could have on the welfare of women and children in America."
On its website, the company also said it had "regularly reviewed the applicable studies and there is insufficient valid information that indicates a verified association between taking paracetamol and autism."
Organizations representing doctors and health professionals concur.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has stated paracetamol - the main ingredient in Tylenol - is a restricted selection for pregnant women to address pain and fever, which can create serious health risks if ignored.
"In more than two decades of studies on the use of paracetamol in pregnancy, not a single reputable study has conclusively proven that the consumption of paracetamol in any trimester of pregnancy leads to neurodevelopmental disorders in offspring," the organization said.
This legal action mentions latest statements from the former administration in arguing the medication is reportedly hazardous.
Last month, Trump generated worry from medical authorities when he advised pregnant women to "resist strongly" not to consume acetaminophen when unwell.
The FDA then published an announcement that physicians should think about restricting the use of Tylenol, while also mentioning that "a causal relationship" between the medication and autism spectrum disorder in young ones has remains unverified.
Health Secretary RFK Jr, who supervises the FDA, had promised in spring to conduct "a massive testing and research effort" that would identify the origin of autism spectrum disorder in a short period.
But authorities advised that finding a unique factor of autism spectrum disorder - thought by researchers to be the consequence of a intricate combination of inherited and external influences - would prove challenging.
Autism is a type of permanent neurological difference and condition that influences how people experience and interact with the environment, and is identified using physician assessments.
In his court filing, the attorney general - who supports Trump who is running for US Senate - claims the manufacturer and J&J "willfully ignored and tried to quiet the research" around paracetamol and autism spectrum disorder.
This legal action attempts to require the corporations "destroy any promotional materials" that asserts Tylenol is safe for expectant mothers.
The Texas lawsuit echoes the grievances of a group of parents of minors with autism spectrum disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder who took legal action against the manufacturers of acetaminophen in 2022.
A federal judge threw out the case, saying studies from the parents' expert witnesses was inconclusive.