Texas Top Legal Officer Sues Tylenol Manufacturers Concerning Autism Allegations
The top legal official in Texas Ken Paxton is filing a lawsuit against the producers of Tylenol, asserting the companies hid alleged dangers that the drug presented to pediatric neurological development.
The lawsuit arrives thirty days after President Donald Trump promoted an unproven link between using Tylenol - alternatively called acetaminophen - during pregnancy and autism in children.
Paxton is filing suit against the pharmaceutical giant, which formerly manufactured the drug, the only pain reliever recommended for expectant mothers, and the current manufacturer, which currently produces it.
In a declaration, he claimed they "betrayed America by gaining financially from suffering and promoting medication regardless of the dangers."
The company asserts there is no credible evidence tying acetaminophen to autism spectrum disorder.
"These companies lied for decades, deliberately risking numerous people to increase profits," Paxton, a Republican, said.
Kenvue stated officially that it was "seriously troubled by the dissemination of inaccurate information on the reliability of paracetamol and the potential impact that could have on the well-being of American women and children."
On its website, the company also mentioned it had "regularly reviewed the pertinent research and there is lacking reliable evidence that demonstrates a proven link between taking acetaminophen and autism spectrum disorder."
Groups acting on behalf of doctors and healthcare providers agree.
ACOG has declared paracetamol - the key substance in Tylenol - is a restricted selection for women during pregnancy to treat discomfort and fever, which can present significant medical dangers if ignored.
"In multiple decades of studies on the use of acetaminophen in gestation, not a single reputable study has successfully concluded that the consumption of acetaminophen in any period of pregnancy results in neurological conditions in offspring," the organization said.
The lawsuit cites current declarations from the former administration in claiming the drug is reportedly hazardous.
Last month, the former president caused concern from medical authorities when he instructed pregnant women to "struggle intensely" not to use Tylenol when unwell.
The FDA then published an announcement that physicians should contemplate reducing the usage of Tylenol, while also mentioning that "a direct connection" between the drug and autism in young ones has not been established.
The Health Department head Kennedy, who supervises the FDA, had pledged in spring to conduct "a massive testing and research effort" that would identify the origin of autism in a matter of months.
But specialists warned that discovering a single cause of autism spectrum disorder - considered by experts to be the consequence of a complicated interplay of genetic and surrounding conditions - would not be simple.
Autism is a category of lifelong neurodivergence and disability that impacts how people encounter and relate to the world, and is identified using medical professional evaluations.
In his court filing, the attorney general - aligned with the former president who is seeking US Senate - claims the manufacturer and Johnson & Johnson "deliberately disregarded and attempted to silence the research" around paracetamol and autism spectrum disorder.
This legal action attempts to require the companies "destroy any marketing or advertising" that asserts acetaminophen is secure for expectant mothers.
The court case echoes the complaints of a group of parents of children with autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder who took legal action against the manufacturers of acetaminophen in recently.
The court threw out the case, stating studies from the family's specialists was not conclusive.