Texas Top Legal Officer Files Lawsuit Against Acetaminophen Makers Over Autism Spectrum Claims

Courtroom Proceedings
The Texas Attorney General, who supports former President Trump who is running for US Senate, accused pharmaceutical manufacturers of hiding safety concerns of acetaminophen

The top legal official in Texas Ken Paxton is taking legal action against the makers of Tylenol, asserting the corporations hid potential risks that the drug created to children's cognitive development.

The court filing comes a month after Former President Trump publicized an unverified association between consuming acetaminophen - alternatively called paracetamol - throughout gestation and autism spectrum disorder in offspring.

The attorney general is taking legal action against Johnson & Johnson, which once produced the drug, the exclusive pain medication recommended for pregnant women, and the current manufacturer, which currently produces it.

In a declaration, he claimed they "deceived the public by making money from pain and pushing pills regardless of the dangers."

Kenvue says there is insufficient reliable data connecting acetaminophen to autism spectrum disorder.

"These corporations misled for generations, intentionally threatening numerous people to increase profits," the attorney general, a Republican, said.

The company said in a statement that it was "seriously troubled by the perpetuation of misinformation on the security of acetaminophen and the potential impact that could have on the health of American women and children."

On its official site, Kenvue also mentioned 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."

Organizations acting on behalf of physicians and health professionals agree.

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has declared paracetamol - the main ingredient in Tylenol - is a restricted selection for expectant mothers to treat discomfort and fever, which can create major wellness concerns if not addressed.

"In more than two decades of investigation on the consumption of paracetamol in gestation, no reliable research has definitively established that the use of acetaminophen in any period of pregnancy causes brain development issues in young ones," the organization commented.

This legal action mentions current declarations from the previous government in claiming the medication is potentially dangerous.

In recent weeks, the former president generated worry from health experts when he advised pregnant women to "struggle intensely" not to consume Tylenol when ill.

Federal regulators then issued a notice that physicians should contemplate reducing the consumption of acetaminophen, while also mentioning that "a direct connection" between the drug and autism spectrum disorder in children has not been established.

Health Secretary RFK Jr, who supervises the Food and Drug Administration, had promised in spring to undertake "a massive testing and research effort" that would identify the origin of autism spectrum disorder in a matter of months.

But specialists warned that identifying a unique factor of autism - considered by experts to be the result of a complex mix of inherited and environmental factors - would be difficult.

Autism spectrum disorder is a category of permanent neurological difference and condition that affects how people encounter and relate to the world, and is identified using medical professional evaluations.

In his court filing, the attorney general - who supports Trump who is campaigning for US Senate - claims Kenvue and Johnson & Johnson "deliberately disregarded and sought to suppress the science" around paracetamol and autism.

The case seeks to make the companies "destroy any commercial messaging" that states Tylenol is reliable for pregnant women.

The Texas lawsuit parallels the complaints of a collection of guardians of minors with autism and ADHD who filed suit against the producers of Tylenol in recently.

The court dismissed the legal action, declaring studies from the parents' expert witnesses was inconclusive.

Regina Newman
Regina Newman

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