🔗 Share this article

Texas Attorney General Paxton is suing the makers of Tylenol, asserting the corporations hid alleged dangers that the drug posed to pediatric cognitive development.

The court filing follows thirty days after Donald Trump publicized an unproven link between taking acetaminophen - alternatively called paracetamol - while pregnant and autism in children.

Paxton is taking legal action against J&J, which once produced the medication, the only pain reliever approved for women during pregnancy, and the current manufacturer, which presently makes it.

In a official comment, he said they "misled consumers by gaining financially from pain and promoting medication ignoring the risks."

The manufacturer says there is lacking scientific proof connecting Tylenol to autism spectrum disorder.

"These corporations deceived for years, intentionally threatening numerous people to line their pockets," the attorney general, a Republican, declared.

The company stated officially that it was "very worried by the perpetuation of misinformation on the reliability of acetaminophen and the possible consequences that could have on the well-being of women and children in America."

On its website, Kenvue also mentioned it had "continuously evaluated the relevant science and there is no credible data that demonstrates a verified association between taking paracetamol and autism."

Organizations speaking for doctors and medical practitioners agree.

The leading OB-GYN organization has stated acetaminophen - the main ingredient in acetaminophen - is one of the few options for expectant mothers to treat discomfort and elevated temperature, which can pose major wellness concerns if left untreated.

"In more than two decades of investigation on the use of acetaminophen in gestation, not a single reputable study has conclusively proven that the consumption of acetaminophen in any trimester of pregnancy leads to neurological conditions in offspring," the association commented.

The lawsuit references recent announcements from the Trump administration in asserting the drug is reportedly hazardous.

Recently, the former president generated worry from health experts when he advised expectant mothers to "struggle intensely" not to consume Tylenol when ill.

Federal regulators then issued a notice that physicians should consider limiting the usage of acetaminophen, while also mentioning that "a causal relationship" between the medication and autism spectrum disorder in minors has not been established.

Health Secretary RFK Jr, who oversees the Food and Drug Administration, had promised in April to undertake "a massive testing and research effort" that would establish the origin of autism in a limited time.

But authorities cautioned that discovering a single cause of autism - thought by researchers to be the result of a complex mix of genetic and surrounding conditions - would prove challenging.

Autism spectrum disorder is a type of lifelong neurodivergence and condition that impacts how individuals encounter and relate to the surroundings, and is diagnosed using physician assessments.

In his court filing, the attorney general - a Trump ally who is seeking federal office - asserts Kenvue and Johnson & Johnson "willfully ignored and tried to quiet the evidence" around acetaminophen and autism.

This legal action attempts to require the corporations "destroy any marketing or advertising" that claims Tylenol is secure for pregnant women.

The Texas lawsuit parallels the concerns of a collection of mothers and fathers of young ones with autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder who took legal action against the makers of Tylenol in two years ago.

A federal judge threw out the lawsuit, saying research from the parents' expert witnesses was inconclusive.