🔗 Share this article

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is taking legal action against the producers of acetaminophen, asserting the companies hid safety concerns that the drug created to pediatric neurological development.

The court filing arrives a month after Former President Trump promoted an unverified association between consuming acetaminophen - referred to as paracetamol - throughout gestation and autism spectrum disorder in children.

Paxton is suing J&J, which previously sold the drug, the exclusive pain medication suggested for expectant mothers, and the current manufacturer, which presently makes it.

In a official comment, he claimed they "betrayed America by profiting off of pain and marketing drugs ignoring the potential hazards."

The company states there is insufficient reliable data linking Tylenol to autism.

"These manufacturers misled for generations, intentionally threatening millions to boost earnings," Paxton, from the Republican party, stated.

The manufacturer said in a statement that it was "deeply concerned by the dissemination of inaccurate information on the security of paracetamol and the potential impact that could have on the well-being of women and children in America."

On its website, the company also said it had "regularly reviewed the applicable studies and there is no credible data that demonstrates a verified association between using acetaminophen and autism."

Associations acting on behalf of doctors and healthcare providers agree.

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has said acetaminophen - the main ingredient in acetaminophen - is among limited choices for expectant mothers to treat discomfort and fever, which can pose major wellness concerns if left untreated.

"In multiple decades of research on the use of paracetamol in gestation, not a single reputable study has successfully concluded that the consumption of acetaminophen in any stage of gestation causes neurodevelopmental disorders in children," the organization commented.

The court filing cites recent announcements from the previous government in claiming the drug is allegedly unsafe.

Last month, Trump caused concern from medical authorities when he advised expectant mothers to "resist strongly" not to use Tylenol when unwell.

The US Food and Drug Administration then issued a notice that doctors should think about restricting the consumption of acetaminophen, while also stating that "a proven link" between the medication and autism spectrum disorder in young ones has not been established.

Health Secretary RFK Jr, who oversees the FDA, had promised in April to conduct "extensive scientific investigation" that would determine the cause of autism in a matter of months.

But specialists warned that identifying a sole reason of autism - thought by researchers to be the consequence of a intricate combination of genetic and external influences - would be difficult.

Autism is a type of lifelong neurodivergence and disability that influences how people experience and relate to the environment, and is identified using physician assessments.

In his court filing, the attorney general - a Trump ally who is seeking the Senate - alleges the manufacturer and Johnson & Johnson "willfully ignored and sought to suppress the research" around paracetamol and autism spectrum disorder.

This legal action aims to force the firms "eliminate any promotional materials" that claims acetaminophen is reliable for women during pregnancy.

The court case parallels the complaints of a assembly of mothers and fathers of young ones with autism and ADHD who sued the manufacturers of Tylenol in recently.

Judicial authorities dismissed the lawsuit, declaring studies from the plaintiffs' authorities was lacking definitive proof.