The State of Texas Attorney General Takes Legal Action Against Tylenol Manufacturers Over Autism Spectrum Allegations
Texas Attorney General Paxton is suing the makers of Tylenol, alleging the corporations concealed alleged dangers that the medication presented to pediatric neurological development.
The lawsuit follows thirty days after President Donald Trump promoted an unverified association between using Tylenol - alternatively called paracetamol - while pregnant and autism in children.
Paxton is filing suit against the pharmaceutical giant, which once produced the medication, the exclusive pain medication recommended for expectant mothers, and Kenvue, which now manufacturers it.
In a statement, he said they "betrayed America by profiting off of suffering and pushing pills without regard for the dangers."
The manufacturer asserts there is insufficient reliable data linking Tylenol to autism.
"These corporations lied for decades, knowingly endangering numerous people to line their pockets," the attorney general, a Republican, said.
The company stated officially that it was "seriously troubled by the dissemination of inaccurate information on the reliability of acetaminophen 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 relevant science and there is lacking reliable evidence that indicates a proven link between consuming acetaminophen and autism spectrum disorder."
Associations speaking for physicians and health professionals concur.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has declared paracetamol - the primary component in Tylenol - is a restricted selection for pregnant women to address discomfort and fever, which can present serious health risks if ignored.
"In over twenty years of research on the utilization of paracetamol in pregnancy, not a single reputable study has successfully concluded that the usage of acetaminophen in any trimester of gestation results in neurological conditions in children," the association said.
The lawsuit mentions recent announcements from the Trump administration in claiming the medication is reportedly hazardous.
Recently, Trump raised alarms from public health officials when he instructed pregnant women to "resist strongly" not to use Tylenol when sick.
The FDA then released a statement that medical professionals should contemplate reducing the usage of acetaminophen, while also stating that "a direct connection" between the drug and autism spectrum disorder in young ones has remains unverified.
Health Secretary RFK Jr, who manages the FDA, had pledged in April to conduct "a massive testing and research effort" that would identify the source of autism in a matter of months.
But specialists warned that identifying a unique factor of autism - thought by researchers to be the consequence of a intricate combination of inherited and external influences - would not be simple.
Autism is a type of lifelong neurodivergence and disability that impacts how people perceive and interact with the surroundings, and is diagnosed using doctors' observations.
In his lawsuit, the attorney general - a Trump ally who is seeking US Senate - asserts Kenvue and Johnson & Johnson "deliberately disregarded and tried to quiet the science" around acetaminophen and autism.
The case attempts to require the firms "remove any marketing or advertising" that asserts Tylenol is secure for women during pregnancy.
This legal action parallels the complaints of a collection of guardians of young ones with autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder who filed suit against the makers of acetaminophen in 2022.
A federal judge threw out the lawsuit, saying investigations from the plaintiffs' authorities was inconclusive.