Texas Attorney General Takes Legal Action Against Acetaminophen Makers Concerning Autism Spectrum Claims
Texas Attorney General Paxton is suing the makers of acetaminophen, claiming the companies concealed potential risks that the medication posed to pediatric neurological development.
This legal action comes a month after Former President Trump advocated an unproven link between taking acetaminophen - also known as paracetamol - throughout gestation and autism spectrum disorder in young ones.
The attorney general is taking legal action against Johnson & Johnson, which formerly manufactured the medication, the exclusive pain medication recommended for expectant mothers, and Kenvue, which presently makes it.
In a declaration, he said they "misled consumers by gaining financially from suffering and promoting medication ignoring the risks."
The company asserts there is insufficient reliable data linking Tylenol to autism.
"These companies misled for generations, knowingly endangering millions to line their pockets," the attorney general, from the Republican party, declared.
The company commented that it was "seriously troubled by the dissemination of inaccurate information on the safety of paracetamol and the likely effects that could have on the health of women and children in America."
On its website, Kenvue also stated it had "continuously evaluated the applicable studies and there is no credible data that shows a verified association between using acetaminophen and autism."
Organizations speaking for doctors and health professionals concur.
The leading OB-GYN organization has said acetaminophen - the primary component in Tylenol - is a restricted selection for expectant mothers to manage discomfort and elevated temperature, which can create serious health risks if left untreated.
"In more than two decades of investigation on the use of acetaminophen in pregnancy, no reliable research has successfully concluded that the use of paracetamol in any stage of pregnancy causes neurodevelopmental disorders in offspring," the group stated.
The lawsuit mentions current declarations from the previous government in asserting the medication is allegedly unsafe.
Recently, the former president caused concern from public health officials when he told women during pregnancy to "struggle intensely" not to use Tylenol when sick.
The US Food and Drug Administration then released a statement that medical professionals should contemplate reducing the use of Tylenol, while also declaring that "a causal relationship" between the drug and autism spectrum disorder in children has not been established.
The Health Department head RFK Jr, who oversees the FDA, had pledged in spring to undertake "extensive scientific investigation" that would establish the cause of autism in a limited time.
But authorities advised that discovering a sole reason of autism spectrum disorder - thought by researchers to be the result of a complex mix of genetic and surrounding conditions - would not be simple.
Autism spectrum disorder is a type of enduring cognitive variation and disability that influences how persons encounter and engage with the surroundings, and is recognized using medical professional evaluations.
In his legal document, the attorney general - aligned with the former president who is campaigning for US Senate - claims Kenvue and Johnson & Johnson "intentionally overlooked and attempted to silence the evidence" around acetaminophen and autism.
The lawsuit aims to force the corporations "eliminate any promotional materials" that asserts acetaminophen is reliable for women during pregnancy.
This legal action echoes the grievances of a collection of parents of children with autism spectrum disorder and ADHD who filed suit against the makers of acetaminophen in recently.
The court threw out the legal action, stating investigations from the plaintiffs' authorities was lacking definitive proof.