Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has filed a lawsuit towards the businesses Johnson & Johnson and Kenvue, claiming that they “deceptively” marketed Tylenol to pregnant moms and that the treatment is tied to an elevated threat of autism. Kenvue stated in an announcement that the treatment is secure and the corporate will “vigorously defend” towards the claims.
The lawsuit, dated Monday and filed within the District Court of Panola County, Texas, comes a few month after President Donald Trump publicly claimed that the usage of Tylenol throughout being pregnant could be related to an elevated threat of autism within the youngster, regardless of many years of proof that the treatment is secure.
“Big Pharma betrayed America by profiting off of pain and pushing pills regardless of the risks. These corporations lied for decades, knowingly endangering millions to line their pockets,” Paxton, the state’s Republican attorney general, who can also be working for US Senate, stated in a news release Tuesday. “By holding Big Pharma accountable for poisoning our people, we will help Make America Healthy Again.”
The lawsuit claims that Johnson & Johnson and Kenvue violated the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices-Consumer Protection Act as a result of they knew that acetaminophen, the energetic ingredient in Tylenol, “is dangerous to unborn children and young children” and “they hid this danger and deceptively marketed Tylenol as the only safe painkiller for pregnant women,” in accordance to the lawsuit.
The state’s lawsuit has requested a jury trial and, partly, requires the businesses to “destroy any marketing or advertising materials in their possession that represent, directly or indirectly, that Tylenol is safe for pregnant women and children.” The lawsuit additionally requires the businesses to pay civil penalties to the state within the quantity of $10,000 per violation.
“Nothing is more important to us than the health and safety of the people who use our products. We are deeply concerned by the perpetuation of misinformation on the safety of acetaminophen and the potential impact that could have on the health of American women and children,” Kenvue stated in an emailed statement Tuesday.
“We will vigorously defend ourselves against these claims and respond per the legal process. We stand firmly with the global medical community that acknowledges the safety of acetaminophen and believe we will continue to be successful in litigation as these claims lack legal merit and scientific support,” the assertion stated partly. “We also encourage expecting mothers to speak to their health professional before taking any over-the-counter medication, including acetaminophen, as indicated on our product label for Tylenol®.”
In an announcement, a Johnson & Johnson firm spokesperson stated it “divested its consumer health business years ago, and all rights and liabilities associated with the sale of its over-the-counter products, including Tylenol (acetaminophen), are owned by Kenvue.”
Experts have stated there are a number of causes of autism, and the science displaying a connection between autism and Tylenol is not settled.
“Suggestions that acetaminophen use in pregnancy causes autism are not only highly concerning to clinicians but also irresponsible when considering the harmful and confusing message they send to pregnant patients, including those who may need to rely on this beneficial medicine during pregnancy,” Dr. Steven J. Fleischman, president of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, said in a statement in September.
“Acetaminophen is one of the few options available to pregnant patients to treat pain and fever, which can be harmful to pregnant people when left untreated. Maternal fever, headaches as an early sign of preeclampsia, and pain are all managed with the therapeutic use of acetaminophen, making acetaminophen essential to the people who need it,” he stated. “The conditions people use acetaminophen to treat during pregnancy are far more dangerous than any theoretical risks and can create severe morbidity and mortality for the pregnant person and the fetus.”