Texas sues Tylenol makers over alleged autism link

The Texas attorney general announced a lawsuit Tuesday against the pharmaceutical companies behind Tylenol that echoes the Trump administration’s allegations linking the painkiller to increased risk of autism.

Ken Paxton, a Republican, accused drug makers Johnson & Johnson (J&J) and Kenvue of “knowingly endangering millions to line their pockets,” according to a press release issued with the suit that was filed in a Texas state court.

The lawsuit seeks to prohibit alleged false marketing and monetary penalties, among other remedies.

Paxton’s press release also referenced literature by President Donald Trump’s administration asserting a link between acetaminophen, the main ingredient in Tylenol, and autism if pregnant mothers took the painkiller.

Trump, accompanied by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr at a September 22 event, insisted that “taking Tylenol is not good” and to “fight like hell not to take it.”

But medical groups including the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists have long cited acetaminophen as among the safest painkillers to take during pregnancy.

Some public health experts have described Trump’s attacks on the drug as unscientific and dangerous.

Paxton accused J&J of “illegally offloading their liability to a different” company when it spun off Tylenol as part of the establishment in 2023 of Kenvue, a consumer products firm.

A J&J spokesperson said the company no longer owned Tylenol and that “all rights and liabilities” were now owned by Kenvue.

Kenvue said acetaminophen “is the safest pain reliever option for pregnant women as needed throughout their entire pregnancy,” according to a statement.

“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,” Kenvue said.

© 2025 AFP