The State of Texas Top Legal Officer Sues Tylenol Manufacturers Over Autism Claims
Texas Attorney General Paxton is taking legal action against the producers of acetaminophen, asserting the firms hid alleged dangers that the drug posed to children's cognitive development.
This legal action comes thirty days after President Donald Trump publicized an unsubstantiated connection between consuming Tylenol - also known as acetaminophen - throughout gestation and autism spectrum disorder in young ones.
The attorney general is taking legal action against the pharmaceutical giant, which formerly manufactured the drug, the exclusive pain medication suggested for pregnant women, and the current manufacturer, which presently makes it.
In a declaration, he claimed they "misled consumers by making money from suffering and marketing drugs without regard for the dangers."
Kenvue states there is lacking scientific proof tying acetaminophen to autism spectrum disorder.
"These corporations lied for decades, knowingly endangering numerous people to increase profits," Paxton, from the Republican party, declared.
Kenvue said in a statement that it was "deeply concerned by the dissemination of inaccurate information on the security of acetaminophen and the potential impact that could have on the welfare of US mothers and children."
On its online platform, Kenvue also mentioned it had "regularly reviewed the applicable studies and there is lacking reliable evidence that demonstrates a established connection between consuming acetaminophen and autism spectrum disorder."
Associations speaking for physicians and health professionals agree.
The leading OB-GYN organization has said acetaminophen - the main ingredient in acetaminophen - is a restricted selection for women during pregnancy to treat pain and fever, which can present serious health risks if left untreated.
"In over twenty years of investigation on the utilization of paracetamol in gestation, not a single reputable study has definitively established that the use of acetaminophen in any stage of gestation causes brain development issues in children," the group stated.
This legal action mentions latest statements from the former administration in asserting the medication is potentially dangerous.
Last month, Trump generated worry from public health officials when he advised expectant mothers to "fight like hell" not to consume Tylenol when sick.
The US Food and Drug Administration then published an announcement that medical professionals should consider limiting the use of Tylenol, while also declaring that "a proven link" between the medication and autism spectrum disorder in young ones has remains unverified.
Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr, who manages the FDA, had promised in spring to undertake "comprehensive study program" that would establish the origin of autism spectrum disorder in a matter of months.
But authorities cautioned that finding a unique factor of autism spectrum disorder - believed by scientists to be the result of a complex mix of genetic and surrounding conditions - would not be simple.
Autism spectrum disorder is a type of permanent neurological difference and impairment that influences how people encounter and relate to the world, and is recognized using medical professional evaluations.
In his legal document, Paxton - who supports Trump who is running for US Senate - alleges Kenvue and Johnson & Johnson "willfully ignored and sought to suppress the evidence" around acetaminophen and autism spectrum disorder.
The case attempts to require the corporations "remove any marketing or advertising" that claims acetaminophen is secure for expectant mothers.
This legal action mirrors the grievances of a group of parents of children with autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder who sued the manufacturers of acetaminophen in recently.
Judicial authorities rejected the case, declaring research from the parents' expert witnesses was inconclusive.