The State of Texas Top Legal Officer Files Lawsuit Against Tylenol Producers Concerning Autism Spectrum Claims
The top legal official in Texas Ken Paxton is suing the makers of acetaminophen, alleging the firms withheld alleged dangers that the pain reliever created to pediatric cognitive development.
The court filing comes four weeks after President Donald Trump advocated an unsubstantiated connection between taking acetaminophen - referred to as acetaminophen - throughout gestation and autism spectrum disorder in children.
The attorney general is filing suit against Johnson & Johnson, which once produced the medication, the only pain reliever recommended for pregnant women, and the current manufacturer, which currently produces it.
In a statement, he said they "misled consumers by making money from pain and pushing pills ignoring the risks."
The company asserts there is lacking scientific proof linking acetaminophen to autism spectrum disorder.
"These companies deceived for years, deliberately risking millions to line their pockets," the attorney general, a Republican, said.
The company stated officially that it was "very worried by the dissemination of inaccurate information on the security of acetaminophen and the likely effects that could have on the well-being of US mothers and children."
On its online platform, the company also stated it had "consistently assessed the pertinent research and there is no credible data that indicates a verified association between using acetaminophen and autism."
Associations speaking for doctors and health professionals agree.
The leading OB-GYN organization has said paracetamol - the key substance in acetaminophen - is among limited choices for pregnant women to treat discomfort and fever, which can present serious health risks if not addressed.
"In more than two decades of investigation on the use of paracetamol in gestation, not a single reputable study has conclusively proven that the usage of paracetamol in any period of gestation causes brain development issues in offspring," the group commented.
The court filing mentions latest statements from the Trump administration in claiming the medication is reportedly hazardous.
Recently, Trump caused concern from medical authorities when he told expectant mothers to "struggle intensely" not to consume Tylenol when sick.
Federal regulators then issued a notice that physicians should contemplate reducing the consumption of Tylenol, while also mentioning that "a proven link" between the medication and autism in young ones has not been proven.
Health Secretary RFK Jr, who supervises the Food and Drug Administration, had promised in April to initiate "comprehensive study program" that would identify the cause of autism spectrum disorder in a short period.
But authorities advised that identifying a unique factor of autism - believed by scientists to be the result of a complicated interplay of inherited and external influences - would not be simple.
Autism spectrum disorder is a category of lifelong neurodivergence and impairment that impacts how persons perceive and interact with the environment, and is identified using doctors' observations.
In his court filing, Paxton - aligned with the former president who is running for federal office - asserts the manufacturer and J&J "intentionally overlooked and tried to quiet the science" around acetaminophen and autism spectrum disorder.
The lawsuit aims to force the firms "eliminate any commercial messaging" that asserts Tylenol is secure for pregnant women.
The court case parallels the grievances of a group of guardians of young ones with autism spectrum disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder who filed suit against the manufacturers of acetaminophen in two years ago.
The court dismissed the case, saying investigations from the plaintiffs' authorities was lacking definitive proof.