🔗 Share this article

The top legal official in Texas Paxton is filing a lawsuit against the makers of acetaminophen, asserting the companies withheld potential risks that the drug presented to children's cognitive development.

The court filing comes four weeks after Donald Trump advocated an unverified association between consuming Tylenol - referred to as paracetamol - during pregnancy and autism spectrum disorder in children.

Paxton is taking legal action against J&J, which once produced the drug, the sole analgesic approved for women during pregnancy, and Kenvue, which presently makes it.

In a declaration, he claimed they "misled consumers by gaining financially from suffering and pushing pills ignoring the dangers."

The company states there is insufficient reliable data linking acetaminophen to autism spectrum disorder.

"These manufacturers deceived for years, deliberately risking millions to increase profits," Paxton, a Republican, declared.

The manufacturer commented that it was "very worried by the perpetuation of misinformation on the reliability of acetaminophen and the likely effects that could have on the well-being of American women and children."

On its online platform, Kenvue also mentioned it had "regularly reviewed the applicable studies and there is no credible data that demonstrates a established connection between taking acetaminophen and autism spectrum disorder."

Groups acting on behalf of medical professionals and healthcare providers concur.

ACOG has said paracetamol - the primary component in Tylenol - is one of the few options for women during pregnancy to manage pain and fever, which can present serious health risks if ignored.

"In multiple decades of investigation on the consumption of acetaminophen in pregnancy, zero credible investigations has successfully concluded that the use of paracetamol in any stage of gestation causes neurological conditions in young ones," the association stated.

The lawsuit cites recent announcements from the previous government in arguing the drug is potentially dangerous.

Recently, the former president caused concern from medical authorities when he advised women during pregnancy to "struggle intensely" not to use Tylenol when unwell.

The US Food and Drug Administration then published an announcement that doctors should consider limiting the consumption of Tylenol, while also declaring that "a causal relationship" between the drug and autism spectrum disorder in young ones has not been established.

Health Secretary Kennedy, who oversees the FDA, had pledged in April to undertake "a massive testing and research effort" that would identify the source of autism in a short period.

But experts cautioned that finding a sole reason of autism - thought by researchers to be the outcome of a complex mix of genetic and surrounding conditions - would prove challenging.

Autism is a category of lifelong neurodivergence and disability that affects how individuals experience and interact with the surroundings, and is recognized using doctors' observations.

In his court filing, the attorney general - aligned with the former president who is seeking the Senate - asserts the manufacturer and Johnson & Johnson "deliberately disregarded and attempted to silence the science" around paracetamol and autism spectrum disorder.

This legal action seeks to make the corporations "destroy any promotional materials" that asserts acetaminophen is secure for expectant mothers.

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

The court threw out the legal action, declaring studies from the family's specialists was inconclusive.