The State of Texas Attorney General Takes Legal Action Against Tylenol Makers Regarding Autism Assertions

Courtroom Case
Ken Paxton, who supports former President Trump seeking election to US Senate, claimed pharmaceutical manufacturers of concealing potential dangers of acetaminophen

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is filing a lawsuit against the manufacturers of Tylenol, claiming the firms hid alleged dangers that the medication created to children's neurological development.

The lawsuit follows a month after Donald Trump promoted an unproven link between using Tylenol - alternatively called acetaminophen - during pregnancy and autism spectrum disorder in offspring.

Paxton is filing suit against Johnson & Johnson, which previously sold the medication, the sole analgesic recommended for expectant mothers, and the current manufacturer, which presently makes it.

In a declaration, he said they "betrayed America by making money from pain and promoting medication ignoring the potential hazards."

Kenvue says there is no credible evidence tying acetaminophen to autism.

"These manufacturers lied for decades, deliberately risking numerous people to increase profits," Paxton, a Republican, stated.

The company said in a statement that it was "very worried by the spread of false claims on the security of acetaminophen and the possible consequences that could have on the well-being of American women and children."

On its official site, Kenvue also mentioned it had "consistently assessed the applicable studies and there is no credible data that shows a proven link between using acetaminophen and autism spectrum disorder."

Organizations acting on behalf of doctors and health professionals share this view.

ACOG has said acetaminophen - the primary component in acetaminophen - is among limited choices for expectant mothers to treat discomfort and elevated temperature, which can present significant medical dangers if not addressed.

"In over twenty years of investigation on the utilization of paracetamol in gestation, zero credible investigations has definitively established that the consumption of paracetamol in any stage of gestation causes neurodevelopmental disorders in young ones," the group stated.

The court filing references latest statements from the former administration in claiming the medication is allegedly unsafe.

Last month, the former president raised alarms from public health officials when he instructed women during pregnancy to "fight like hell" not to consume acetaminophen when sick.

Federal regulators then released a statement that medical professionals should consider limiting the use of acetaminophen, while also mentioning that "a causal relationship" between the medication and autism spectrum disorder in children has not been established.

The Health Department head RFK Jr, who manages the Food and Drug Administration, had promised in spring to undertake "a massive testing and research effort" that would establish the cause of autism spectrum disorder in a limited time.

But specialists advised that identifying a single cause of autism spectrum disorder - believed by scientists to be the result of a complex mix of inherited and environmental factors - would not be simple.

Autism is a category of enduring cognitive variation and impairment that impacts how people experience and engage with the surroundings, and is identified using physician assessments.

In his court filing, the attorney general - who supports Trump who is running for federal office - asserts the manufacturer and J&J "deliberately disregarded and tried to quiet the evidence" around paracetamol and autism spectrum disorder.

The lawsuit aims to force the companies "destroy any marketing or advertising" that states acetaminophen is reliable for pregnant women.

This legal action parallels the concerns of a assembly of guardians of minors with autism spectrum disorder and ADHD who took legal action against the producers of Tylenol in recently.

A federal judge rejected the lawsuit, saying studies from the parents' expert witnesses was lacking definitive proof.

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