🔗 Share this article

The top legal official in Texas Ken Paxton is taking legal action against the makers of acetaminophen, alleging the firms hid alleged dangers that the drug posed to pediatric cognitive development.

The lawsuit arrives four weeks after Donald Trump promoted an unproven link between using acetaminophen - also known as paracetamol - while pregnant and autism spectrum disorder in offspring.

Paxton is taking legal action against the pharmaceutical giant, which once produced the medication, the only pain reliever suggested for expectant mothers, and the current manufacturer, which presently makes it.

In a official comment, he stated they "misled consumers by profiting off of pain and marketing drugs ignoring the risks."

Kenvue states there is insufficient reliable data tying Tylenol to autism spectrum disorder.

"These companies deceived for years, intentionally threatening countless individuals to boost earnings," the attorney general, from the Republican party, said.

The company said in a statement that it was "seriously troubled by the spread of false claims on the safety of acetaminophen and the potential impact that could have on the welfare of US mothers and children."

On its official site, the company also said it had "continuously evaluated the pertinent research and there is lacking reliable evidence that shows a proven link between consuming paracetamol and autism."

Associations speaking for physicians and medical practitioners concur.

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has said paracetamol - the key substance in Tylenol - is among limited choices for expectant mothers to treat discomfort and elevated temperature, which can create serious health risks if not addressed.

"In multiple decades of studies on the utilization of acetaminophen in gestation, zero credible investigations has conclusively proven that the usage of paracetamol in any trimester of gestation results in neurological conditions in offspring," the organization commented.

The court filing cites current declarations from the previous government in claiming the medication is allegedly unsafe.

Last month, Trump generated worry from public health officials when he instructed pregnant women to "struggle intensely" not to take Tylenol when sick.

Federal regulators then published an announcement that physicians should consider limiting the use of acetaminophen, while also stating that "a proven link" between the medication and autism in young ones has not been established.

The Health Department head 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 in a short period.

But experts advised that identifying a unique factor of autism spectrum disorder - believed by scientists to be the result of a complicated interplay of inherited and environmental factors - would be difficult.

Autism is a form of enduring cognitive variation and disability that influences how people experience and engage with the environment, and is recognized using medical professional evaluations.

In his court filing, the attorney general - who supports Trump who is seeking federal office - claims Kenvue and J&J "deliberately disregarded and attempted to silence the evidence" around acetaminophen and autism.

The lawsuit aims to force the corporations "destroy any commercial messaging" that asserts Tylenol is safe for expectant mothers.

The court case echoes the grievances of a group of mothers and fathers of minors with autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder who filed suit against the manufacturers of acetaminophen in two years ago.

A federal judge dismissed the legal action, stating studies from the family's specialists was inconclusive.