🔗 Share this article

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is taking legal action against the makers of Tylenol, asserting the companies hid potential risks that the pain reliever created to pediatric neurological development.

The court filing arrives thirty days after President Donald Trump publicized an unverified association between using Tylenol - also known as acetaminophen - throughout gestation and autism in offspring.

The attorney general is taking legal action against the pharmaceutical giant, which once produced the medication, the exclusive pain medication recommended for women during pregnancy, and Kenvue, which now manufacturers it.

In a declaration, he said they "deceived the public by gaining financially from suffering and promoting medication without regard for the potential hazards."

Kenvue says there is insufficient reliable data linking acetaminophen to autism.

"These corporations lied for decades, knowingly endangering millions to boost earnings," the attorney general, from the Republican party, declared.

Kenvue stated officially that it was "seriously troubled by the perpetuation of misinformation on the security of acetaminophen and the possible consequences that could have on the welfare of US mothers and children."

On its website, Kenvue also stated it had "regularly reviewed the relevant science and there is insufficient valid information that shows a verified association between taking paracetamol and autism spectrum disorder."

Associations acting on behalf of physicians and medical practitioners concur.

The leading OB-GYN organization has declared paracetamol - the primary component in acetaminophen - is among limited choices for expectant mothers to manage discomfort and elevated temperature, which can pose significant medical dangers if ignored.

"In more than two decades of investigation on the use of paracetamol in gestation, not a single reputable study has successfully concluded that the usage of acetaminophen in any trimester of pregnancy results in neurodevelopmental disorders in children," the group commented.

The lawsuit references latest statements from the Trump administration in arguing the medication is reportedly hazardous.

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

The US Food and Drug Administration then released a statement that medical professionals should consider limiting the consumption of acetaminophen, while also declaring that "a causal relationship" between the drug and autism in minors has remains unverified.

Health Secretary Kennedy, who supervises the Food and Drug Administration, had pledged in April to conduct "a massive testing and research effort" that would determine the source of autism spectrum disorder in a matter of months.

But specialists cautioned that discovering a unique factor of autism spectrum disorder - thought by researchers to be the consequence of a complicated interplay of inherited and surrounding conditions - would not be simple.

Autism spectrum disorder is a form of lifelong neurodivergence and disability that affects how individuals experience and engage with the surroundings, and is recognized using medical professional evaluations.

In his court filing, Paxton - a Trump ally who is running for federal office - claims the manufacturer and J&J "willfully ignored and sought to suppress the evidence" around acetaminophen and autism spectrum disorder.

The lawsuit aims to force the corporations "remove any promotional materials" that asserts acetaminophen is secure for women during pregnancy.

The court case parallels the concerns of a group of parents of children with autism spectrum disorder and ADHD who filed suit against the makers of acetaminophen in 2022.

A federal judge dismissed the legal action, stating investigations from the plaintiffs' authorities was lacking definitive proof.