🔗 Share this article

Texas Attorney General Paxton is suing the producers of acetaminophen, asserting the companies withheld alleged dangers that the pain reliever posed to pediatric neurological development.

This legal action follows a month after Donald Trump promoted an unverified association between consuming Tylenol - referred to as paracetamol - while pregnant and autism spectrum disorder in offspring.

Paxton is filing suit against J&J, which once produced the drug, the only pain reliever approved for women during pregnancy, and Kenvue, which currently produces it.

In a official comment, he stated they "deceived the public by gaining financially from discomfort and marketing drugs ignoring the potential hazards."

The manufacturer states there is insufficient reliable data tying Tylenol to autism.

"These manufacturers lied for decades, knowingly endangering millions to line their pockets," the attorney general, a Republican, declared.

The manufacturer commented that it was "deeply concerned by the perpetuation of misinformation on the safety of paracetamol and the possible consequences that could have on the health of American women and children."

On its official site, the company also stated it had "regularly reviewed the pertinent research and there is no credible data that shows a established connection between using acetaminophen and autism spectrum disorder."

Organizations acting on behalf of physicians and health professionals share this view.

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has said acetaminophen - the main ingredient in Tylenol - is a restricted selection for pregnant women to treat pain and fever, which can create serious health risks if ignored.

"In more than two decades of research on the utilization of acetaminophen in pregnancy, zero credible investigations has definitively established that the use of paracetamol in any trimester of gestation causes brain development issues in young ones," the association commented.

This legal action cites recent announcements from the previous government in arguing the medication is potentially dangerous.

In recent weeks, Trump raised alarms from public health officials when he instructed women during pregnancy to "fight like hell" not to consume Tylenol when unwell.

The US Food and Drug Administration then released a statement that medical professionals should think about restricting the usage of Tylenol, while also declaring that "a direct connection" between the medication and autism in children has not been established.

Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr, who manages the FDA, had pledged in April to undertake "comprehensive study program" that would determine the cause of autism spectrum disorder in a short period.

But authorities advised that discovering a sole reason of autism - believed by scientists to be the result of a complex mix of genetic and external influences - would be difficult.

Autism spectrum disorder is a type of lifelong neurodivergence and condition that influences how people encounter and engage with the surroundings, and is diagnosed using medical professional evaluations.

In his legal document, Paxton - who supports Trump who is running for US Senate - asserts the manufacturer and J&J "intentionally overlooked and tried to quiet the research" around paracetamol and autism.

This legal action attempts to require the firms "eliminate any promotional materials" that asserts acetaminophen is safe for expectant mothers.

This legal action echoes the grievances of a collection of guardians of children with autism spectrum disorder and ADHD who took legal action against the manufacturers of Tylenol in two years ago.

A federal judge threw out the lawsuit, declaring investigations from the parents' expert witnesses was lacking definitive proof.