Texas sues Tylenol, alleging deceptive marketing

Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a lawsuit on Monday, accusing so-called Big Pharma companies of marketing Tylenol to pregnant women despite negative side effects arising from prenatal exposures to the drug. Companies betrayed America by profiting off pain and pushing pills despite the risks, according to a Tuesday statement from Paxton. The Trump administration issued a warning in September that taking Tylenol during pregnancy may increase the chances of a child developing autism.

The filing named both Tylenol’s original creator, Johnson & Johnson, and Kenvue, the company now marketing the painkiller. Johnson & Johnson spent decades ignoring and silencing scientists who showed early childhood exposures to Tylenol’s main ingredient, acetaminophen, could cause autism and ADHD, Paxton’s office alleged. The parent company marketed the painkiller as safe for pregnant women despite the documented risks, according to the lawsuit. Johnson & Johnson further violated Texas law by fraudulently transferring Tylenol’s liabilities to another company to shield its assets from emerging litigation, Paxton’s office said.

How is Tylenol responding? Johnson & Johnson divested its consumer health business years ago, a company spokesperson told WORLD. All rights and liabilities associated with its over-the-counter products, including Tylenol, are now under Kenvue, the spokesperson added.

Kenvue told WORLD on Tuesday that it planned to use the legal system to vigorously defend against Paxton’s claims. Nothing is more important than the health and safety of those who use Kenvue products, according to the company’s emailed statement. The perpetual misinformation around the safety of Tylenol for children is deeply concerning, since acetaminophen is the safest pain reliever for pregnant women, the company said.

Without Tylenol, pregnant women face serious risks from high fevers that can be harmful to both mother and child, according to the company. The global medical community acknowledges the safety of acetaminophen, according to Kenvue, and Kenvue said it believed litigation would be successful in proving Texas’ claims lacked merit and scientific support.

Dig deeper: Listen to Emma Freire’s report on The World and Everything in It about pushback to claims that autism and Tylenol are linked.