Texas Attorney General Files Lawsuit Against Tylenol Producers Regarding Autism Spectrum Allegations
The top legal official in Texas Paxton is suing the manufacturers of acetaminophen, claiming the corporations withheld safety concerns that the pain reliever posed to children's brain development.
This legal action comes a month after Donald Trump publicized an unproven link between consuming Tylenol - alternatively called acetaminophen - during pregnancy and autism spectrum disorder in offspring.
The attorney general is taking legal action against Johnson & Johnson, which previously sold the medication, the sole analgesic suggested for pregnant women, and the current manufacturer, which presently makes it.
In a statement, he stated they "betrayed America by making money from pain and marketing drugs without regard for the dangers."
Kenvue asserts there is no credible evidence linking Tylenol to autism spectrum disorder.
"These corporations deceived for years, intentionally threatening millions to line their pockets," the attorney general, from the Republican party, said.
Kenvue said in a statement that it was "very worried by the dissemination of inaccurate information on the reliability of paracetamol and the potential impact that could have on the welfare of US mothers and children."
On its online platform, Kenvue also mentioned it had "consistently assessed the applicable studies and there is lacking reliable evidence that shows a proven link between consuming paracetamol and autism."
Organizations speaking for physicians and medical practitioners agree.
The leading OB-GYN organization has said paracetamol - the main ingredient in acetaminophen - is among limited choices for women during pregnancy to address pain and fever, which can create serious health risks if not addressed.
"In multiple decades of investigation on the utilization of paracetamol in gestation, not a single reputable study has definitively established that the use of paracetamol in any period of pregnancy leads to brain development issues in children," the organization stated.
The court filing cites recent announcements from the Trump administration in asserting the drug is potentially dangerous.
In recent weeks, Trump generated worry from health experts when he instructed pregnant women to "fight like hell" not to consume acetaminophen when ill.
The US Food and Drug Administration then released a statement that medical professionals should think about restricting the use of Tylenol, while also mentioning that "a direct connection" between the drug and autism spectrum disorder in children has not been proven.
Health Secretary RFK Jr, who oversees the FDA, had pledged in spring to initiate "comprehensive study program" that would identify the origin of autism in a matter of months.
But authorities advised that discovering a single cause of autism spectrum disorder - considered by experts to be the consequence of a intricate combination of inherited and surrounding conditions - would not be simple.
Autism is a type of lifelong neurodivergence and condition that impacts how individuals encounter and interact with the world, and is identified using physician assessments.
In his lawsuit, Paxton - aligned with the former president who is seeking federal office - claims Kenvue and Johnson & Johnson "willfully ignored and tried to quiet the research" around paracetamol and autism.
The lawsuit seeks to make the firms "eliminate any marketing or advertising" that states Tylenol is safe for expectant mothers.
The court case parallels the concerns of a group of guardians of young ones with autism spectrum disorder and ADHD who filed suit against the makers of Tylenol in 2022.
A federal judge dismissed the lawsuit, stating investigations from the parents' expert witnesses was lacking definitive proof.