Texas Attorney General Initiates Legal Action Over Autism Allegations Against Tylenol

Ken Paxton, the Attorney General of Texas, has launched a lawsuit against Kenvue and its parent company, Johnson & Johnson. The lawsuit claims that Tylenol is linked to an increased risk of autism and is misleadingly marketed as being safe for pregnant women.

These assertions are contested by numerous medical professionals.

The legal document, filed on Monday, argues that both Johnson & Johnson and Kenvue, a company spun off from Johnson & Johnson in 2023, have been aware for many years that acetaminophen, Tylenol's main component, is potentially hazardous to unborn and young children. Despite this knowledge, they continued promoting it as the safest pain relief option for expecting mothers.

Paxton references assertions made during the Trump administration about the dangers of acetaminophen, suggesting that the federal government had recognized what the defendants had known for some time: that using acetaminophen in pregnancy may lead to conditions such as autism and ADHD.

The lawsuit also accuses Johnson & Johnson of strategically moving liabilities tied to Tylenol to Kenvue, ostensibly to protect its assets from legal claims concerning the alleged adverse effects of Tylenol on children.

In a responsive statement, Kenvue dismissed the state's allegations as legally and scientifically unfounded and expressed its intent to robustly defend against them. The company maintains that acetaminophen remains a safe choice for pregnant women seeking pain relief.

Kenvue voiced worries about the spread of misinformation regarding acetaminophen and the potential negative effects on the health of American mothers and their children.

Highlighting the risks of not treating fevers and other conditions during pregnancy, Kenvue cautioned that avoiding acetaminophen could leave pregnant women with limited and potentially harmful alternatives.

A representative from Johnson & Johnson confirmed to CBS News that the company had divested its consumer health segment years earlier, and all assets and potential legal responsibilities, including those related to Tylenol, now belong to Kenvue.

Back in September, alongside Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President Trump announced that the FDA would immediately inform doctors that acetaminophen use during pregnancy could significantly elevate the risk of autism.

Kennedy noted that the FDA's stance was informed by studies hinting at a possible link between prenatal acetaminophen use and developmental issues, findings published in journals like Environmental Health. He further mentioned ongoing research by the NIH exploring various related theories.

Following the Trump administration's advisory on acetaminophen, numerous high-profile medical authorities criticized the warning, insisting there was insufficient scientific proof supporting such concerns. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists communicated to CBS News that there is no conclusive data proving a direct connection between responsibly using acetaminophen during pregnancy and developmental anomalies in fetuses.