Texas AG Ken Paxton Filed a Lawsuit Against Johnson & Johnson and Kenvue Over Alleged Tylenol Safety Risks
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is suing Johnson & Johnson and Kenvue, accusing the companies of hiding supposed dangers tied to Tylenol use during pregnancy. The lawsuit claims the pain reliever — long considered safe for expectant mothers — may be linked to autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders in children.
Paxton, a Republican and staunch ally of Donald Trump now running for U.S. Senate, alleged the companies “betrayed America by profiting off pain and pushing pills regardless of the risks.”
Kenvue, which now manufactures Tylenol, flatly denied the accusations, calling them “misinformation” that could harm women’s health. The company said it has “continuously evaluated the relevant science,” maintaining there is no credible data linking acetaminophen, Tylenol’s active ingredient, to autism.
Leading medical organizations are standing by Tylenol’s long-established safety record. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists reiterated that acetaminophen remains one of the few recommended pain and fever treatments during pregnancy, adding that untreated fever can itself pose serious health risks.
“In more than two decades of research on the use of acetaminophen in pregnancy, not a single reputable study has successfully concluded that the use of acetaminophen in any trimester causes neurodevelopmental disorders in children,” the group stated.
Paxton’s lawsuit comes amid a wave of politicized claims about Tylenol’s safety. Last month, Trump warned pregnant women to “fight like hell” not to take the medication, sparking concern among health officials.
Although the FDA acknowledged reviewing data on prenatal acetaminophen exposure, it emphasized there is no established causal relationship between the drug and autism. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced new testing initiatives but faced skepticism from scientists who note that autism’s origins are complex and multifactorial — involving both genetics and environment.
Paxton’s filing argues that Johnson & Johnson and Kenvue “willfully ignored and attempted to silence the science.” The lawsuit seeks to ban marketing claims that Tylenol is safe for pregnant women and to require destruction of related advertising materials.
The case mirrors a 2022 federal lawsuit brought by parents of children with autism and ADHD, which was dismissed for lack of conclusive evidence.
