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Republican Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced he's sued Johnson & Johnson and Kenvue, the makers of Tylenol, claiming they deceptively marketed the pain medication to pregnant women despite alleged links to autism and other disorders in a statement obtained by ABC News on Tuesday (October 28).
“Big Pharma betrayed America by profiting off of pain and pushing pills regardless of the risks," Paxton said. "These corporations lied for decades, knowingly endangering millions to line their pockets. ... By holding Big Pharma accountable for poisoning our people, we will help Make America Healthy Again.”
The lawsuit is the first from a state government against Tylenol since President Donald Trump made claims that the pain medication was linked to an increased risk of autism, though there has been limited evidence to prove the theory. Kenvue Inc., which is a spinoff of Johnson & Johnson, released a statement in response to Paxton's claims saying it is "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."
"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 that are potentially harmful to both mom and baby or use riskier alternatives. High fevers and pain are widely recognized as potential risks to a pregnancy if left untreated," the statement read. "We will defend ourselves against these baseless claims and respond per the legal process. 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."
Trump and his administration officially suggested that Tylenol during pregnancy can contribute to a higher autism risk during a press conference on September 22. The president said the U.S. Food and Drug Administration would be notifying doctors that use of the medicine "can be associated" with an increased risk of autism, however, didn't offer medical evidence for the new FDA recommendation, the Associated Press reported at the time.