Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is suing the makers of Tylenol, accusing the companies of failing to warn consumers about risks of taking the drug while pregnant.
In the suit filed Tuesday, Paxton, a Republican, said Johnson & Johnson and spinoff company Kenvue hid information about the drug’s link to autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
The suit follows warnings from President Donald Trump and U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. last month that using Tylenol during pregnancy can cause autism. Scientists say that link is not proven.
Advertisement – Continue Reading Below
“Big Pharma betrayed America by profiting off of pain and pushing pills regardless of the risks,” Paxton said in a statement. “These corporations lied for decades, knowingly endangering millions to line their pockets.”
In a statement Tuesday to The Dallas Morning News, Johnson & Johnson said 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.”
Kenvue said Paxton’s accusations “lack legal merit and scientific support.”
“Nothing is more important to us than the health and safety of the people who use our products,” the company said in an email to The News. “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.”
The Trump administration’s warnings last month caused widespread confusion among pregnant women trying to navigate how to manage pain and fever during pregnancy. The Food and Drug Administration said it would update the label for Tylenol to reflect a potential connection with autism and ADHD.
Medical groups rejected the Trump administration’s warning and said Tylenol is one of the few safe options available for pregnant women. Multiple factors, including genetics, likely contribute to the development of autism, they say.
“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 Fleischman, president of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, said last month in a statement.
Paxton’s suit is the first of its kind by a state and comes as he is challenging incumbent Sen. John Cornyn in the Republican primary next year. He has been aggressive in launching investigations and filing lawsuits that align with the Trump administration, including challenging the results of the 2020 election and investigating cereal makers for using artificial dyes.
The research on acetaminophen use during pregnancy is mixed but has not conclusively found that Tylenol causes neurodevelopmental disorders.
A 2024 study in Sweden, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, found that acetaminophen use during pregnancy was not associated with an increased risk of a child having a neurodevelopmental disorder.
Another research review, published in the journal Environmental Health in August, found a possible link. Trump and Kennedy pointed to this study when they warned against taking Tylenol.
The authors of the review, however, also warned that pregnant women should not stop taking acetaminophen when needed.
“We recommend judicious acetaminophen use — lowest effective dose, shortest duration — under medical guidance, tailored to individual risk–benefit assessments, rather than a broad limitation,” the authors wrote.
Staff writer Emily Brindley contributed to this report.
© 2025 The Dallas Morning News
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC
