🔗 Share this article

The top legal official in Texas Paxton is taking legal action against the makers of acetaminophen, alleging the companies withheld safety concerns that the pain reliever presented to children's brain development.

The court filing arrives thirty days after Donald Trump promoted an unproven link between taking acetaminophen - also known as acetaminophen - while pregnant and autism spectrum disorder in young ones.

The attorney general is taking legal action against J&J, which previously sold the medication, the sole analgesic approved for pregnant women, and the current manufacturer, which presently makes it.

In a declaration, he claimed they "deceived the public by gaining financially from discomfort and pushing pills ignoring the dangers."

The company asserts there is lacking scientific proof connecting acetaminophen to autism spectrum disorder.

"These companies deceived for years, intentionally threatening countless individuals to line their pockets," Paxton, a Republican, said.

Kenvue commented that it was "deeply concerned by the spread of false claims on the security of acetaminophen and the possible consequences that could have on the welfare of American women and children."

On its official site, Kenvue also stated it had "consistently assessed the pertinent research and there is lacking reliable evidence that indicates a established connection between taking paracetamol and autism spectrum disorder."

Groups representing medical professionals and health professionals share this view.

The leading OB-GYN organization has stated paracetamol - the primary component in Tylenol - is a restricted selection for women during pregnancy to treat pain and fever, which can create serious health risks if not addressed.

"In multiple decades of research on the consumption of acetaminophen in gestation, not a single reputable study has conclusively proven that the consumption of acetaminophen in any stage of pregnancy leads to neurological conditions in children," the organization stated.

This legal action mentions recent announcements from the Trump administration in asserting the drug is potentially dangerous.

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

Federal regulators then released a statement that medical professionals should think about restricting the usage of Tylenol, while also stating that "a direct connection" between the drug and autism in children has not been established.

Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr, who supervises the FDA, had promised in April to conduct "extensive scientific investigation" that would determine the source of autism spectrum disorder in a limited time.

But authorities cautioned that discovering a single cause of autism - considered by experts to be the result of a intricate combination of inherited and external influences - would prove challenging.

Autism spectrum disorder is a category of permanent neurological difference and condition that influences how people experience and relate to the environment, and is diagnosed using physician assessments.

In his legal document, the attorney general - aligned with the former president who is running for US Senate - asserts Kenvue and J&J "intentionally overlooked and sought to suppress the evidence" around acetaminophen and autism spectrum disorder.

The lawsuit attempts to require the corporations "destroy any promotional materials" that asserts acetaminophen is safe for expectant mothers.

This legal action parallels the complaints of a collection of guardians of children with autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder who took legal action against the manufacturers of acetaminophen in 2022.

The court threw out the legal action, stating investigations from the plaintiffs' authorities was inconclusive.