Texas Sues Tylenol Over Unproven Autism Claims

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has filed a lawsuit against the makers of Tylenol, alleging that they marketed the pain reliever to pregnant women while concealing risks he claims are linked to autism — assertions that medical experts have repeatedly refuted.

Paxton announced the lawsuit against manufacturer Kenvue and its former parent company Johnson & Johnson in an Oct. 28 statement on his official website. The filing accuses the companies of violating the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices-Consumer Protection Act by “deceptively marketing Tylenol as the only safe painkiller for pregnant women,” while allegedly knowing that acetaminophen — Tylenol’s active ingredient — “is dangerous to unborn and young children.”

In his statement, Paxton said, “Big Pharma betrayed America by profiting off of pain and pushing pills regardless of the risks. These corporations lied for decades, knowingly endangering millions to line their pockets.”

The lawsuit follows false claims made by former President Donald Trump during a Sept. 22 press conference, where he asserted that Tylenol use during pregnancy causes “horrible, horrible” autism. He was joined by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services head Dr. Mehmet Oz — despite strong disagreement from the medical community.

“People have been taking Tylenol since 1960, and there’s a very long history of safety here,” Dr. Karam Radwan, Director of the UChicago Medicine Neurodevelopmental Clinic, previously said.

Acetaminophen and autism have been the focus of numerous, often inconclusive, studies. Trump’s remarks appear to have been influenced by a study published in Environmental Health, which noted a “positive association” between prenatal acetaminophen exposure and neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism. However, the study authors themselves cautioned that they “cannot establish causation for any single exposure.”

Dr. Radwan emphasized that extensive Tylenol use during pregnancy might instead reflect underlying health issues. “If you’re taking Tylenol for weeks, that could mean there’s inflammation, infection, or an autoimmune condition prompting the need for it. Those underlying problems could be the issue — rather than Tylenol itself,” he said. “That doesn’t mean the Tylenol is the cause.”

A spokesperson for Kenvue responded, saying, “Nothing is more important to us than the health and safety of the people who use our products. 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 company’s statement continued: “Acetaminophen is the safest pain reliever option for pregnant women as needed throughout their entire pregnancy. Without it, women face dangerous choices — suffer through conditions like fever, which can harm both mother and baby, or use riskier alternatives. High fevers and pain are widely recognized as potential risks to a pregnancy if left untreated. We will vigorously defend ourselves against these claims and stand firmly with the global medical community that acknowledges the safety of acetaminophen.”

A representative for Johnson & Johnson added that the company had divested its consumer health business years ago, transferring all related rights and liabilities for over-the-counter products, including Tylenol, to Kenvue.

A detailed statement addressing the lawsuit is available on Kenvue’s official website.