🔗 Share this article

The top legal official in Texas Paxton is suing the makers of acetaminophen, claiming the firms concealed potential risks that the pain reliever created to pediatric cognitive development.

This legal action arrives four weeks after Donald Trump promoted an unverified association between consuming acetaminophen - alternatively called paracetamol - during pregnancy and autism spectrum disorder in offspring.

Paxton is suing the pharmaceutical giant, which formerly manufactured the medication, the sole analgesic suggested for pregnant women, and Kenvue, which currently produces it.

In a declaration, he said they "betrayed America by gaining financially from pain and pushing pills without regard for the dangers."

The company asserts there is no credible evidence tying acetaminophen to autism.

"These corporations lied for decades, deliberately risking millions to increase profits," Paxton, a Republican, declared.

The company commented that it was "deeply concerned by the spread of false claims on the safety of paracetamol and the potential impact that could have on the welfare of American women and children."

On its official site, Kenvue also said it had "regularly reviewed the relevant science and there is insufficient valid information that demonstrates a proven link between using paracetamol and autism spectrum disorder."

Associations speaking for physicians and health professionals agree.

The leading OB-GYN organization has stated acetaminophen - the primary component in acetaminophen - is among limited choices for women during pregnancy to address discomfort and elevated temperature, which can create significant medical dangers if ignored.

"In more than two decades of investigation on the consumption of paracetamol in gestation, not a single reputable study has conclusively proven that the consumption of paracetamol in any stage of gestation leads to brain development issues in young ones," the group said.

The lawsuit references latest statements from the previous government in asserting the drug is allegedly unsafe.

Last month, Trump raised alarms from public health officials when he told women during pregnancy to "resist strongly" not to take Tylenol when unwell.

The US Food and Drug Administration then issued a notice that doctors should contemplate reducing the consumption of acetaminophen, while also mentioning that "a direct connection" between the medication and autism spectrum disorder in minors has not been established.

Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr, who supervises the Food and Drug Administration, had pledged in April to conduct "comprehensive study program" that would determine the source of autism in a limited time.

But experts advised that discovering a unique factor of autism - believed by scientists to be the outcome of a complex mix of genetic and external influences - would be difficult.

Autism spectrum disorder is a type of permanent neurological difference and condition that impacts how persons experience and interact with the surroundings, and is diagnosed using medical professional evaluations.

In his lawsuit, the attorney general - aligned with the former president who is seeking federal office - claims the manufacturer and J&J "intentionally overlooked and tried to quiet the research" around acetaminophen and autism.

The lawsuit attempts to require the corporations "remove any commercial messaging" that asserts acetaminophen is safe for expectant mothers.

The court case parallels the concerns of a collection of parents of children with autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder who filed suit against the producers of Tylenol in two years ago.

The court rejected the case, stating studies from the family's specialists was not conclusive.