The State of Texas Top Legal Officer Sues Acetaminophen Producers Concerning Autism Assertions

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is suing the makers of acetaminophen, asserting the corporations withheld alleged dangers that the pain reliever posed to children's brain development.

This legal action arrives four weeks after Former President Trump advocated an unproven link between taking acetaminophen - referred to as paracetamol - during pregnancy and autism in children.

Paxton is taking legal action against Johnson & Johnson, which previously sold the medication, the sole analgesic suggested for women during pregnancy, and Kenvue, which presently makes it.

In a declaration, he said they "misled consumers by making money from discomfort and pushing pills regardless of the risks."

The company asserts there is lacking scientific proof tying acetaminophen to autism.

"These companies lied for decades, knowingly endangering countless individuals to line their pockets," the attorney general, a Republican, said.

Kenvue said in a statement that it was "seriously troubled by the spread of false claims on the security of paracetamol and the potential impact that could have on the well-being of American women and children."

On its official site, Kenvue also stated it had "regularly reviewed the applicable studies and there is insufficient valid information that indicates a established connection between consuming paracetamol and autism spectrum disorder."

Groups representing medical professionals and medical practitioners agree.

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has said paracetamol - the main ingredient in Tylenol - is among limited choices for women during pregnancy to manage discomfort and elevated temperature, which can create major wellness concerns if ignored.

"In over twenty years of studies on the consumption of paracetamol in pregnancy, no reliable research has conclusively proven that the consumption of acetaminophen in any period of gestation results in neurodevelopmental disorders in offspring," the association said.

The lawsuit mentions recent announcements from the previous government in claiming the medication is potentially dangerous.

Recently, Trump caused concern from medical authorities when he advised women during pregnancy to "fight like hell" not to use acetaminophen when ill.

The US Food and Drug Administration then issued a notice that medical professionals should think about restricting the usage of Tylenol, while also stating that "a causal relationship" between the medication and autism spectrum disorder in children has not been proven.

The Health Department head RFK Jr, who supervises the FDA, had pledged in spring to undertake "comprehensive study program" that would establish the cause of autism in a limited time.

But specialists warned that finding a unique factor of autism spectrum disorder - thought by researchers to be the consequence of a complicated interplay of genetic and environmental factors - would prove challenging.

Autism is a category of enduring cognitive variation and disability that impacts how people encounter and engage with the environment, and is identified using physician assessments.

In his court filing, the attorney general - aligned with the former president who is campaigning for federal office - claims Kenvue and Johnson & Johnson "willfully ignored and attempted to silence the research" around paracetamol and autism.

The lawsuit attempts to require the companies "destroy any commercial messaging" that asserts acetaminophen is secure for women during pregnancy.

This legal action mirrors the grievances of a assembly of guardians of minors with autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder who filed suit against the makers of Tylenol in 2022.

The court rejected the lawsuit, declaring studies from the family's specialists was inconclusive.