The State of Texas Top Legal Officer Sues Acetaminophen Producers Over Autism Claims

Courtroom Case
Ken Paxton, who supports former President Trump seeking election to the United States Senate, alleged the drug companies of withholding safety concerns of acetaminophen

The top legal official in Texas Paxton is filing a lawsuit against the manufacturers of acetaminophen, alleging the corporations concealed potential risks that the drug presented to children's cognitive development.

The court filing comes thirty days after Donald Trump promoted an unsubstantiated connection between taking acetaminophen - referred to as paracetamol - while pregnant and autism in offspring.

Paxton is suing the pharmaceutical giant, which formerly manufactured the drug, the sole analgesic approved for expectant mothers, and the current manufacturer, which now manufacturers it.

In a declaration, he stated they "misled consumers by making money from pain and promoting medication ignoring the dangers."

The manufacturer asserts there is insufficient reliable data tying acetaminophen to autism.

"These corporations lied for decades, knowingly endangering numerous people to boost earnings," the attorney general, a Republican, said.

The manufacturer said in a statement that it was "very worried by the dissemination of inaccurate information on the security of paracetamol and the likely effects that could have on the health of US mothers and children."

On its online platform, the company also mentioned it had "consistently assessed the applicable studies and there is insufficient valid information that indicates a verified association between consuming paracetamol and autism."

Associations speaking for medical professionals and medical practitioners share this view.

ACOG has said paracetamol - the main ingredient in acetaminophen - is one of the few options for expectant mothers to manage discomfort and elevated temperature, which can pose serious health risks if left untreated.

"In over twenty years of investigation on the consumption of acetaminophen in pregnancy, not a single reputable study has definitively established that the use of paracetamol in any period of gestation results in neurological conditions in young ones," the association stated.

This legal action mentions current declarations from the previous government in claiming the drug is potentially dangerous.

Last month, Trump generated worry from health experts when he told women during pregnancy to "resist strongly" not to use Tylenol when unwell.

The FDA then issued a notice that medical professionals should consider limiting the usage of acetaminophen, while also declaring that "a proven link" between the drug and autism spectrum disorder in children has not been proven.

Health Secretary Kennedy, who supervises the FDA, had promised in spring to initiate "extensive scientific investigation" that would determine the origin of autism spectrum disorder in a matter of months.

But specialists advised that finding a single cause of autism spectrum disorder - thought by researchers to be the result of a complicated interplay of genetic and external influences - would not be simple.

Autism is a type of lifelong neurodivergence and impairment that influences how individuals perceive and relate to the environment, and is identified using medical professional evaluations.

In his court filing, Paxton - a Trump ally who is running for federal office - alleges Kenvue and Johnson & Johnson "intentionally overlooked and tried to quiet the research" around paracetamol and autism.

This legal action seeks to make the firms "eliminate any commercial messaging" that asserts Tylenol is secure for expectant mothers.

The court case mirrors the complaints of a group of guardians of minors with autism and ADHD who filed suit against the makers of acetaminophen in 2022.

A federal judge threw out the case, saying research from the family's specialists was not conclusive.

Danielle Nelson
Danielle Nelson

Lena is a health enthusiast and writer with a background in nutrition, sharing evidence-based tips for everyday wellness.