The State of Texas Top Legal Officer Sues Tylenol Makers Over Autism Spectrum Allegations
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is suing the makers of Tylenol, asserting the corporations concealed potential risks that the pain reliever created to pediatric cognitive development.
The lawsuit follows thirty days after President Donald Trump publicized an unsubstantiated connection between taking Tylenol - alternatively called acetaminophen - during pregnancy and autism in offspring.
Paxton is suing J&J, which once produced the drug, the sole analgesic recommended for expectant mothers, and the current manufacturer, which currently produces it.
In a statement, he stated they "deceived the public by profiting off of suffering and marketing drugs regardless of the dangers."
The company states there is no credible evidence connecting Tylenol to autism.
"These corporations deceived for years, deliberately risking countless individuals to boost earnings," the attorney general, a Republican, said.
The manufacturer stated officially that it was "deeply concerned by the perpetuation of misinformation on the reliability of paracetamol and the likely effects that could have on the health of US mothers and children."
On its website, the company also mentioned it had "consistently assessed the relevant science and there is no credible data that shows a established connection between consuming acetaminophen and autism spectrum disorder."
Organizations representing doctors and medical practitioners agree.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has said paracetamol - the main ingredient in acetaminophen - is among limited choices for women during pregnancy to address pain and elevated temperature, which can pose significant medical dangers if left untreated.
"In multiple decades of research on the consumption of paracetamol in gestation, not a single reputable study has conclusively proven that the usage of acetaminophen in any stage of pregnancy results in brain development issues in young ones," the association stated.
This legal action mentions current declarations from the previous government in claiming the drug is allegedly unsafe.
In recent weeks, Trump generated worry from medical authorities when he advised expectant mothers to "resist strongly" not to use Tylenol when unwell.
The FDA then issued a notice that doctors should contemplate reducing the consumption of acetaminophen, while also mentioning that "a causal relationship" between the medication and autism spectrum disorder in young ones has not been proven.
Health Secretary RFK Jr, who supervises the Food and Drug Administration, had vowed in April to undertake "a massive testing and research effort" that would establish the cause of autism spectrum disorder in a matter of months.
But authorities advised that discovering a sole reason of autism - believed by scientists to be the outcome of a complex mix of genetic and environmental factors - would prove challenging.
Autism is a form of lifelong neurodivergence and condition that affects how persons encounter and relate to the world, and is identified using doctors' observations.
In his court filing, Paxton - aligned with the former president who is running for the Senate - alleges the manufacturer and J&J "willfully ignored and sought to suppress the science" around acetaminophen and autism.
This legal action aims to force the firms "eliminate any marketing or advertising" that claims Tylenol is secure for women during pregnancy.
The court case mirrors the grievances of a group of parents of children with autism and ADHD who filed suit against the makers of acetaminophen in two years ago.
Judicial authorities rejected the case, declaring studies from the plaintiffs' authorities was inconclusive.