Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has filed a lawsuit against pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson and its spinoff company Kenvue, accusing them of “deceptively marketing” Tylenol to pregnant women while concealing potential risks of autism in unborn children — despite no conclusive evidence linking the drug to the neurological disorder.
Paxton claims the companies ignored research suggesting that prenatal exposure to acetaminophen, Tylenol’s active ingredient, could increase the risk of autism and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children.
The lawsuit accuses Johnson & Johnson of violating Texas law by transferring liabilities tied to Tylenol to Kenvue, its consumer spinoff, to shield itself from potential lawsuits.
“Big Pharma betrayed America by profiting off of pain and pushing pills regardless of the risks,” Paxton said in a statement Tuesday.
The lawsuit cites observational studies, including the Nurses’ Health Study II and the Boston Birth Cohort, that have found possible associations between acetaminophen use during pregnancy and developmental disorders. These same studies were referenced by President Donald Trump about a month ago, when he claimed that taking Tylenol during pregnancy could increase the risk of autism and ADHD in children.
But the U.S. Food and Drug Administration says no causal relationship has been found between the drug and neurological disorders, and some studies show no such connection. The agency also notes that acetaminophen is the only over-the-counter medication approved to treat fever during pregnancy, while aspirin and ibuprofen can pose risks to the fetus.
In a statement on Tuesday, Kenvue strongly criticized Paxton’s lawsuit, describing the allegations as a "deliberate distortion of the facts.”
“Nothing is more important to us than the health and safety of the people who use our products,” the statement read. “We will vigorously defend ourselves against these claims and respond per the legal process.”
