Texas sues Tylenol makers J&J and Kenvue, citing unproven link between drug and autism
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on Tuesday sued the makers of Tylenol — Johnson & Johnson and Kenview, accusing them of knowingly hiding the drug’s links to autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
The case comes after a month US President Donald Trump said Using Tylenol during pregnancy may cause autism in children. Trump is not a medical professional, and his claims are unproven and not supported by scientific evidence.
Johnson & Johnson sold Tylenol for more than six decades before spinning off some of its business in 2023 into a separate company called Kenview, which now sells the brand-name drug. The pain reliever is commonly known as acetaminophen.
Kenview has repeatedly defended the safety of Tylenol and said in a statement that it would defend against Paxton’s lawsuit.
“Acetaminophen is the safest pain relief option for pregnant women as needed throughout their pregnancy,” Kenview said. “We are deeply concerned by the persistence of misinformation on the safety of acetaminophen.”
Johnson & Johnson did not comment on Paxton’s lawsuit and said in a separate statement that Kenview is responsible for “all rights and liabilities associated with the sale of its over-the-counter products, including Tylenol.”
Kenview shares fell as much as 2.4 percent in morning trading, while Johnson & Johnson shares fell as much as 1.6 percent.
Paxton says US has ‘confirmed’ Tylenol’s risks
Paxton filed his complaint in Texas state court in rural Panola County, which borders Louisiana and where Trump won 83 percent of the vote in the 2024 presidential election.
He said the federal government “confirmed” last month that using acetaminophen during pregnancy is likely to cause autism and ADHD, and that despite “overwhelming evidence,” Johnson & Johnson and Kenview did not warn pregnant women about the risks.
Paxton also cited Trump urging pregnant women not to use Tylenol unless it is “absolutely necessary” — a claim the president repeated in a Truth Social post on Sunday.
The attorney general said that Johnson & Johnson and Kenview violated a Texas law against deceptive trade practices by hiding risks, and that Johnson & Johnson violated a law against fraudulent transfers by isolating Kenview to protect itself from liability.
front burner27:06Autism and Tylenol: What the science says
Health professionals around the world are disputing the Trump administration’s claims about autism and its possible causes. US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and President Donald Trump himself said this week that taking Tylenol while pregnant could cause autism in children, and the US FDA said it would reclassify the drug leucovorin – which is mainly used to reduce the side effects of chemotherapy – to treat autism symptoms in children. But established, peer-reviewed research on autism and its causes does not support any of these claims – or many of the other statements made in that announcement. Health experts have called the claims premature, misleading and even dangerous. Deepa Singal, scientific director of the Autism Alliance of Canada, explains what the science really says about autism, why health professionals aren’t changing their recommendations, and why it’s so hard to get definitive answers about autism at first. For transcripts of Front Burner, please visit: https://www.godfear.in/radio/frontburner/transcripts (https://www.godfear.in/radio/frontburner/transcripts)
Trump administration’s previous claims
Last month the President said US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Will start telling doctors that it is possible to take acetaminophen “Associated with greatly increased risk” Of developing autism.
“I want to say it just the way it is: Don’t take Tylenol. Don’t take it,” Trump said during an official appearance in the Roosevelt Room at the White House. “Fight tooth and nail not to take it.”
The FDA also said they have begun the process of changing the labels on acetaminophen products to reflect that claim.
US President Donald Trump has linked autism to acetaminophen use during pregnancy, although experts say there is no conclusive evidence. Family physician Dr. Peter Lynn tells Power & Politics that ‘If you need (acetaminophen) to control a high fever or pain, it’s still the safest thing we have available for pregnant women.’
After the announcement, Health Canada pushed back Trump’s claims remind Canadians that Tylenol is a recommended treatment for fever and pain and should be used as directed by a doctor during pregnancy.
“There is no conclusive evidence that the use of acetaminophen as directed during pregnancy causes autism or other neurodevelopmental disorders,” Health Canada said on its website at the time.
TeaHe Canadian Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists It also reminded Canadians in early September that the painkiller remains “Safe and suitable for use during pregnancy when necessary.
Hundreds of private lawsuits have also been filed by families who say their children developed autism or ADHD after their mothers used Tylenol during pregnancy.
A judge dismissed several of those cases last December, and a federal appeals court in Manhattan will hear arguments on the families’ appeal on November 17.
The law firm Keller Postman represents the families in that appeal, and is also working with Paxton on her lawsuit.
Johnson & Johnson is separately facing a lawsuit from more than 73,000 plaintiffs who say they were diagnosed with cancer after using its baby powder and other talc products.
