DALLAS — 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 the 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.
“Big Pharma betrayed America by profiting off of pain and pushing pills regardless of the risks,” Paxton said in a statement Tuesday. “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.
Medical groups rejected the Trump administration’s warning and said Tylenol is one of the few safe options available for pregnant women.
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“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 last month in a statement.
Paxton’s suit is the first of its kind by a state and comes as he is challenging incumbent Senator 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.
©2025 The Dallas Morning News. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
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