🔗 Share this article

The top legal official in Texas Ken Paxton is taking legal action against the manufacturers of acetaminophen, asserting the corporations concealed potential risks that the medication created to pediatric neurological development.

The lawsuit follows thirty days after President Donald Trump publicized an unsubstantiated connection between using acetaminophen - also known as paracetamol - throughout gestation and autism in children.

The attorney general is suing the pharmaceutical giant, which previously sold the drug, the exclusive pain medication approved for women during pregnancy, and Kenvue, which presently makes it.

In a declaration, he said they "misled consumers by making money from pain and pushing pills regardless of the risks."

The company states there is insufficient reliable data connecting Tylenol to autism spectrum disorder.

"These corporations misled for generations, intentionally threatening countless individuals to increase profits," Paxton, a Republican, said.

The company stated officially that it was "deeply concerned by the spread of false claims on the safety of acetaminophen and the likely effects that could have on the health of US mothers and children."

On its online platform, the company also mentioned it had "consistently assessed the applicable studies and there is insufficient valid information that shows a verified association between consuming paracetamol and autism."

Organizations speaking for medical professionals and medical practitioners agree.

The leading OB-GYN organization has declared paracetamol - the main ingredient in Tylenol - is a restricted selection for women during pregnancy to manage pain and fever, which can present significant medical dangers if ignored.

"In over twenty years of investigation on the consumption of acetaminophen in gestation, zero credible investigations has conclusively proven that the use of paracetamol in any stage of gestation results in neurodevelopmental disorders in children," the association stated.

The court filing mentions recent announcements from the former administration in asserting the drug is reportedly hazardous.

Last month, the former president caused concern from public health officials when he instructed expectant mothers to "fight like hell" not to use acetaminophen when unwell.

The FDA then released a statement that doctors should consider limiting the consumption of Tylenol, while also mentioning that "a proven link" between the drug and autism in children has remains unverified.

Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr, who oversees the FDA, had promised in spring to undertake "a massive testing and research effort" that would identify the source of autism spectrum disorder in a limited time.

But authorities advised that finding a single cause of autism - considered by experts to be the result of a complicated interplay of inherited and surrounding conditions - would be difficult.

Autism spectrum disorder is a form of lifelong neurodivergence and condition that affects how individuals perceive and engage with the world, and is diagnosed using medical professional evaluations.

In his lawsuit, Paxton - who supports Trump who is campaigning for US Senate - asserts Kenvue and Johnson & Johnson "willfully ignored and attempted to silence the science" around acetaminophen and autism spectrum disorder.

The lawsuit aims to force the corporations "destroy any promotional materials" that asserts acetaminophen is secure for pregnant women.

This legal action echoes the concerns of a assembly of parents of children with autism spectrum disorder and ADHD who sued the manufacturers of Tylenol in 2022.

The court dismissed the legal action, saying studies from the family's specialists was not conclusive.