🔗 Share this article

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is suing the manufacturers of acetaminophen, asserting the corporations hid safety concerns that the medication posed to children's cognitive development.

This legal action follows four weeks after Former President Trump promoted an unsubstantiated connection between consuming acetaminophen - also known as paracetamol - while pregnant and autism spectrum disorder in offspring.

Paxton is taking legal action against the pharmaceutical giant, which formerly manufactured the drug, the exclusive pain medication suggested for women during pregnancy, and Kenvue, which now manufacturers it.

In a official comment, he stated they "deceived the public by gaining financially from pain and marketing drugs without regard for the risks."

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

"These companies deceived for years, intentionally threatening numerous people to increase profits," Paxton, from the Republican party, stated.

Kenvue commented that it was "seriously troubled by the perpetuation of misinformation on the security of paracetamol and the possible consequences that could have on the welfare of American women and children."

On its online platform, the company also mentioned it had "regularly reviewed the relevant science and there is lacking reliable evidence that indicates a established connection between consuming paracetamol and autism."

Associations representing medical professionals and health professionals concur.

The leading OB-GYN organization has said acetaminophen - the key substance in acetaminophen - is one of the few options for women during pregnancy to treat pain and fever, which can present serious health risks if ignored.

"In more than two decades of studies on the use of paracetamol in pregnancy, zero credible investigations has definitively established that the usage of acetaminophen in any period of gestation leads to neurological conditions in offspring," the group commented.

This legal action cites current declarations from the Trump administration in arguing the drug is reportedly hazardous.

In recent weeks, Trump generated worry from health experts when he told expectant mothers to "struggle intensely" not to consume acetaminophen when sick.

Federal regulators then released a statement that physicians should contemplate reducing the use of acetaminophen, while also stating that "a direct connection" between the drug and autism spectrum disorder in minors has not been established.

Health Secretary Kennedy, who manages the FDA, had promised in April to undertake "a massive testing and research effort" that would identify the source of autism in a limited time.

But authorities cautioned that finding a sole reason of autism spectrum disorder - considered by experts to be the result of a intricate combination of genetic and environmental factors - would not be simple.

Autism is a type of enduring cognitive variation and condition that influences how persons perceive and interact with the world, and is diagnosed using physician assessments.

In his lawsuit, Paxton - aligned with the former president who is campaigning for US Senate - claims the manufacturer and J&J "intentionally overlooked and attempted to silence the research" around paracetamol and autism.

The lawsuit aims to force the corporations "remove any commercial messaging" that states acetaminophen is secure for pregnant women.

The court case echoes the complaints of a group of parents of minors with autism spectrum disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder who sued the producers of acetaminophen in 2022.

The court rejected the legal action, stating studies from the plaintiffs' authorities was not conclusive.