Texas Sues Tylenol Makers Over Claims of Hyperlinks to Autism

[ad_1] Texas Legal professional Common Ken Paxton is suing the pharmaceutical corporations behind Tylenol for “deceptively advertising” the medicine as a protected choice for pregnant moms.

The lawsuit in opposition to Johnson & Johnson and Kenvue, which Paxton filed on Tuesday, claimed that the businesses knew that being uncovered to acetaminophen, the energetic ingredient in Tylenol, earlier than delivery or in early childhood results in an elevated threat of autism and different well being circumstances however hid that data from shoppers.

President Donald Trump claimed that utilizing Tylenol throughout being pregnant will increase the chance of a kid having autism in a September announcement, after Division of Well being and Human Providers (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. promised earlier within the yr to search out what “has induced the autism epidemic.”

Main obstetrics consultants and medical associations, nonetheless, have largely disputed the claimed hyperlink and the standard of the research the Trump Administration has cited when making it.

“Strategies that acetaminophen use in being pregnant causes autism aren't solely extremely regarding to clinicians but additionally irresponsible when contemplating the dangerous and complicated message they ship to pregnant sufferers, together with those that could have to depend on this helpful medication throughout being pregnant,” Steven J. Fleischman, president of the American Faculty of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), mentioned in September. “In additional than twenty years of analysis on using acetaminophen in being pregnant, not a single respected examine has efficiently concluded that using acetaminophen in any trimester of being pregnant causes neurodevelopmental issues in youngsters.”

Learn extra: Trump Hyperlinks Tylenol Use Throughout Being pregnant to Autism. What Does the Science Present?

Paxton, nonetheless, pointed to the Trump Administration’s claims in his state’s lawsuit, alleging that the pharmaceutical corporations had lengthy had entry to proof cited by the Administration however declined to take motion.

“These firms lied for many years, knowingly endangering hundreds of thousands to line their pockets,” Paxton mentioned in a press launch. “By holding Large Pharma accountable for poisoning our individuals, we'll assist Make America Wholesome Once more.”

The Texas lawsuit is the primary a state authorities has filed in opposition to the pharmaceutical corporations over the alleged hyperlink between Tylenol and autism. However lots of of households with youngsters with autism or attention-deficit hyperactivity dysfunction (ADHD) have filed authorized challenges over related claims.

Kenvue, which spun off from Johnson & Johnson in 2023 and has bought Tylenol since, has repeatedly defended the medicine’s security and denied allegations that it misled prospects. “Nothing is extra vital to us than the well being and security of the individuals who use our merchandise. We're deeply involved by the perpetuation of misinformation on the protection of acetaminophen and the potential affect that would have on the well being of American girls and youngsters,” the corporate mentioned in response to the lawsuit. “We stand firmly with the worldwide medical neighborhood that acknowledges the protection of acetaminophen and imagine we'll proceed to achieve success in litigation as these claims lack authorized benefit and scientific help.”

Johnson & Johnson instructed a number of information retailers in a press release that it “divested its client well being enterprise years in the past, and all rights and liabilities related to the sale of its over-the-counter merchandise, together with Tylenol (acetaminophen), are owned by Kenvue.” TIME has reached out to Johnson & Johnson for remark.

A New York federal decide dismissed among the lawsuits earlier this yr as a consequence of a scarcity of dependable scientific proof. The plaintiffs are interesting the choice. Most of the different circumstances are nonetheless shifting via the courtroom system.

Along with the allegations that the businesses hid the dangers of taking acetaminophen, Paxton’s lawsuit additionally alleges that Johnson & Johnson sought to evade legal responsibility for its actions by spinning off Kenvue. Previous to the spinoff, Johnson & Johnson bought Tylenol for greater than six many years.

The authorized problem is one in every of a number of the Texas Legal professional Common has filed in opposition to well being and pharmaceutical corporations.

Paxton, who's working for the U.S. Senate, has beforehand filed lawsuits in opposition to Eli Lilly—alleging that the corporate bribed medical suppliers to prescribe GLP-1 drugs and others it manufactures—and Pfizer. Paxton filed an attraction within the latter lawsuit, during which he claimed the corporate unlawfully misrepresented the efficacy of its COVID-19 vaccine, after a district courtroom dismissed the case. Pfizer has beforehand mentioned that the lawsuit was with out benefit and that “representations made by the corporate about its COVID-19 vaccine have been correct and science-based.” A spokesperson for Eli Lilly in August mentioned the corporate intends to “vigorously defend in opposition to” the lawsuit, pointing to earlier courtroom rulings that discovered related accusations lacked benefit.

The Texas Legal professional Common and the highest prosecutors of many different states, gained a $700 million settlement in opposition to Johnson & Johnson in a lawsuit that accused the corporate of constructing deceptive claims about its talc-based child powder.