Texas attorney general sues Tylenol manufacturers over autism claims

Attorney General Ken Paxton sued the makers of the drug Tylenol on Tuesday, claiming that they hid from consumers that exposure to the drug in pregnancy increases the risk of autism in children.

Paxton filed suit against Johnson & Johnson and Kenvue, accusing them of “deceptively marketing” Tylenol to pregnant mothers. Paxton’s suit comes about a month after President Donald Trump and Health Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. repeated the unfounded claim that exposure to Tylenol during pregnancy can cause autism and other developmental disorders.

A group of leading autism scientists formed a group, the Coalition of Autism Scientists, to share credible scientific information about the causes of autism in response to the information being shared by Trump and Kennedy.

There is no singular cause of autism, according to the coalition. In a statement, the scientists said, “The data cited do not support the claim that Tylenol causes autism and leucovorin is a cure, and only stoke fear and falsely suggest hope when there is no simple answer.”

Paxton’s lawsuit also claims that Kenvue was created to shield Johnson & Johnson from liability over Tylenol.

In a statement, a spokeswoman for Kenvue reiterated that acetaminophen is the safest pain reliever option for pregnant women.

“We will vigorously defend ourselves against these claims and respond per the legal process,” Melissa Witt said in an email. “We stand firmly with the global medical community that acknowledges the safety of acetaminophen and believe we will continue to be successful in litigation as these claims lack legal merit and scientific support.”

A company spokesperson for Johnson & Johnson said in an email: “Johnson & Johnson 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.”

Paxton said this lawsuit was his latest action against Big Pharma.

“These corporations lied for decades, knowingly endangering millions to line their pockets,” Paxton said in a statement. “Additionally, seeing that the day of reckoning was coming, Johnson & Johnson attempted to escape responsibility by illegally offloading their liability onto a different company. By holding Big Pharma accountable for poisoning our people, we will help Make America Healthy Again.”