Texas Top Legal Officer Files Lawsuit Against Acetaminophen Producers Over Autism Assertions

Judicial Action
The Texas Attorney General, who supports former President Trump seeking election to the United States Senate, alleged the drug companies of withholding potential dangers of acetaminophen

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is suing the makers of acetaminophen, asserting the firms concealed alleged dangers that the pain reliever posed to pediatric neurological development.

The lawsuit follows four weeks after Former President Trump promoted an unsubstantiated connection between taking Tylenol - referred to as acetaminophen - while pregnant and autism spectrum disorder in children.

The attorney general is taking legal action against Johnson & Johnson, which once produced the drug, the exclusive pain medication suggested for women during pregnancy, and the current manufacturer, which now manufacturers it.

In a official comment, he claimed they "misled consumers by making money from discomfort and promoting medication regardless of the risks."

Kenvue asserts there is lacking scientific proof connecting acetaminophen to autism spectrum disorder.

"These manufacturers misled for generations, knowingly endangering millions to boost earnings," the attorney general, from the Republican party, said.

Kenvue stated officially 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 health of American women and children."

On its official site, the company also stated it had "consistently assessed the applicable studies and there is no credible data that indicates a established connection between using acetaminophen and autism spectrum disorder."

Associations representing doctors and medical practitioners share this view.

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has stated paracetamol - the key substance in acetaminophen - is one of the few options for pregnant women to treat discomfort and fever, which can present significant medical dangers if ignored.

"In multiple decades of investigation on the utilization of acetaminophen in pregnancy, not a single reputable study has successfully concluded that the consumption of acetaminophen in any period of pregnancy causes brain development issues in young ones," the group stated.

This legal action cites latest statements from the Trump administration in claiming the drug is allegedly unsafe.

Last month, Trump raised alarms from public health officials when he advised women during pregnancy to "fight like hell" not to consume Tylenol when unwell.

Federal regulators then published an announcement that physicians should consider limiting the use of Tylenol, while also declaring that "a proven link" between the medication and autism in minors has not been proven.

Health Secretary Kennedy, who supervises the Food and Drug Administration, had promised in spring to conduct "comprehensive study program" that would determine the cause of autism spectrum disorder in a limited time.

But authorities advised that finding a single cause of autism - thought by researchers to be the result of a complicated interplay of genetic and environmental factors - would not be simple.

Autism is a category of lifelong neurodivergence and disability that influences how persons perceive and relate to the surroundings, and is diagnosed using medical professional evaluations.

In his lawsuit, Paxton - who supports Trump who is campaigning for the Senate - alleges Kenvue and J&J "willfully ignored and tried to quiet the evidence" around paracetamol and autism spectrum disorder.

The lawsuit attempts to require the companies "destroy any marketing or advertising" that states acetaminophen is reliable for expectant mothers.

This legal action mirrors the complaints of a group of mothers and fathers of children with autism spectrum disorder and ADHD who took legal action against the makers of Tylenol in 2022.

The court dismissed the case, saying research from the family's specialists was lacking definitive proof.

Robin Jacobs
Robin Jacobs

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