Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced Monday that his office launched an investigation into COVID vaccine makers Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson over whether they engaged in gain-of-function research and misled the public about it.
Additionally, the pharmaceutical companies will be under the microscope over claims made about the efficacy of their products, which could potentially be in violation of the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act.
The statement noted that potentially fraudulent activity would fall outside of the legal immunity given to the COVID vaccine manufacturers.
"In recent years, certain pharmaceutical companies have had record-breaking financial success, driven in part by sales made from products related to the Covid-19 pandemic. This vested interest in the success of these Covid-19 products, combined with reports about the alarming side effects of vaccines, demands aggressive investigation," his office said in a statement.
Through the investigation, Paxton said the state will pursue "any hint of wrongdoing" told hold Big Pharma accountable.
“The development of the Covid-19 vaccine, and the representations made by and knowledge of Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson, are of profound interest to the public’s health and welfare. This investigation aims to discover the truth,” said Attorney General Paxton. “This pandemic was a deeply challenging time for Americans. If any company illegally took advantage of consumers during this period or compromised people’s safety to increase their profits, they will be held responsible. If public health policy was developed on the basis of flawed or misleading research, the public must know. The catastrophic effects of the pandemic and subsequent interventions forced on our country and citizens deserve intense scrutiny, and we are pursuing any hint of wrongdoing to the fullest.”
BREAKING: We are launching an investigation into Gain-of-Function research and misrepresentations by Covid-19 vaccine manufacturers https://t.co/3NAEGISuT5
— Attorney General Ken Paxton (@KenPaxtonTX) May 1, 2023