The State of Texas Top Legal Officer Files Lawsuit Against Tylenol Producers Concerning Autism Spectrum Claims
The top legal official in Texas Paxton is taking legal action against the makers of acetaminophen, alleging the companies withheld alleged dangers that the drug created to children's cognitive development.
This legal action follows a month after Donald Trump advocated an unverified association between using acetaminophen - also known as paracetamol - during pregnancy and autism spectrum disorder in offspring.
Paxton is filing suit against J&J, which previously sold the medication, the sole analgesic recommended for expectant mothers, and the current manufacturer, which now manufacturers it.
In a declaration, he claimed they "betrayed America by gaining financially from discomfort and promoting medication ignoring the risks."
The company asserts there is lacking scientific proof linking Tylenol to autism.
"These companies deceived for years, intentionally threatening numerous people to line their pockets," the attorney general, from the Republican party, said.
The manufacturer said in a statement that it was "very worried by the spread of false claims on the reliability of paracetamol and the likely effects that could have on the well-being of US mothers and children."
On its website, the company also stated it had "consistently assessed the relevant science and there is lacking reliable evidence that shows a verified association between consuming acetaminophen and autism spectrum disorder."
Groups representing doctors and healthcare providers agree.
The leading OB-GYN organization has said acetaminophen - the main ingredient in acetaminophen - is one of the few options for pregnant women to manage pain and fever, which can pose major wellness concerns if left untreated.
"In more than two decades of investigation on the use of paracetamol in pregnancy, zero credible investigations has successfully concluded that the consumption of paracetamol in any trimester of gestation causes neurological conditions in offspring," the group commented.
The court filing references recent announcements from the former administration in asserting the medication is allegedly unsafe.
In recent weeks, the former president caused concern from medical authorities when he advised women during pregnancy to "fight like hell" not to take acetaminophen when sick.
The US Food and Drug Administration then issued a notice that physicians should consider limiting the use of acetaminophen, while also mentioning that "a causal relationship" between the drug and autism spectrum disorder in minors has not been established.
The Health Department head Robert F Kennedy Jr, who supervises the Food and Drug Administration, had pledged in April to initiate "extensive scientific investigation" that would establish the source of autism in a limited time.
But authorities cautioned that discovering a unique factor of autism - thought by researchers to be the consequence of a complex mix of inherited and external influences - would be difficult.
Autism spectrum disorder is a category of enduring cognitive variation and disability that affects how people perceive and relate to the environment, and is recognized using doctors' observations.
In his court filing, the attorney general - a Trump ally who is running for federal office - alleges the manufacturer and Johnson & Johnson "deliberately disregarded and sought to suppress the science" around paracetamol and autism.
This legal action aims to force the companies "remove any promotional materials" that claims Tylenol is secure for expectant mothers.
The court case echoes the complaints of a collection of guardians of minors with autism and ADHD who sued the producers of acetaminophen in two years ago.
A federal judge dismissed the legal action, declaring research from the family's specialists was lacking definitive proof.