🔗 Share this article

Texas Attorney General Paxton is suing the makers of Tylenol, claiming the corporations withheld alleged dangers that the pain reliever created to pediatric cognitive development.

The lawsuit arrives a month after President Donald Trump advocated an unverified association between taking Tylenol - also known as paracetamol - during pregnancy and autism spectrum disorder in offspring.

The attorney general is taking legal action against J&J, which once produced the drug, the only pain reliever approved for women during pregnancy, and the current manufacturer, which currently produces it.

In a official comment, he claimed they "betrayed America by making money from suffering and promoting medication without regard for the potential hazards."

The company states there is no credible evidence linking Tylenol to autism spectrum disorder.

"These manufacturers misled for generations, knowingly endangering millions to boost earnings," Paxton, a Republican, said.

The manufacturer said in a statement that it was "very worried by the spread of false claims on the reliability of acetaminophen and the potential impact that could have on the health of women and children in America."

On its online platform, the company also mentioned it had "consistently assessed the pertinent research and there is no credible data that indicates a proven link between taking paracetamol and autism spectrum disorder."

Associations speaking for doctors and medical practitioners agree.

The leading OB-GYN organization has stated acetaminophen - the primary component in acetaminophen - is one of the few options for women during pregnancy to treat discomfort and fever, which can pose significant medical dangers if ignored.

"In over twenty years of research on the utilization of paracetamol in pregnancy, zero credible investigations has successfully concluded that the usage of paracetamol in any period of pregnancy results in brain development issues in offspring," the association commented.

The lawsuit mentions current declarations from the Trump administration in claiming the drug is potentially dangerous.

In recent weeks, Trump generated worry from medical authorities when he told women during pregnancy to "fight like hell" not to consume Tylenol when unwell.

Federal regulators then published an announcement that doctors should contemplate reducing the consumption of Tylenol, while also stating that "a causal relationship" between the medication and autism spectrum disorder in minors has remains unverified.

Health Secretary Kennedy, who oversees the Food and Drug Administration, had vowed in spring to conduct "a massive testing and research effort" that would determine the source of autism in a short period.

But specialists cautioned that finding a single cause of autism spectrum disorder - thought by researchers to be the consequence of a intricate combination of genetic and surrounding conditions - would be difficult.

Autism spectrum disorder is a form of permanent neurological difference and disability that impacts how people encounter and relate to the world, and is diagnosed using physician assessments.

In his legal document, the attorney general - who supports Trump who is seeking US Senate - claims the manufacturer and J&J "deliberately disregarded and tried to quiet the science" around acetaminophen and autism.

The lawsuit seeks to make the companies "destroy any marketing or advertising" that asserts Tylenol is reliable for expectant mothers.

The Texas lawsuit echoes the concerns of a collection of mothers and fathers of children with autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder who took legal action against the makers of Tylenol in 2022.

The court rejected the legal action, declaring research from the parents' expert witnesses was not conclusive.