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Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is taking legal action against the manufacturers of acetaminophen, claiming the corporations hid alleged dangers that the pain reliever presented to pediatric brain development.

The court filing arrives four weeks after President Donald Trump promoted an unproven link between using acetaminophen - alternatively called paracetamol - throughout gestation and autism spectrum disorder in offspring.

The attorney general is filing suit against Johnson & Johnson, which once produced the medication, the only pain reliever approved for expectant mothers, and Kenvue, which now manufacturers it.

In a declaration, he stated they "deceived the public by profiting off of suffering and promoting medication regardless of the risks."

Kenvue states there is no credible evidence tying Tylenol to autism spectrum disorder.

"These companies misled for generations, knowingly endangering numerous people to line their pockets," Paxton, a Republican, stated.

The manufacturer stated officially that it was "very worried by the dissemination of inaccurate information on the security of acetaminophen and the likely effects that could have on the welfare of women and children in America."

On its official site, Kenvue also mentioned it had "regularly reviewed the applicable studies and there is lacking reliable evidence that shows a established connection between taking acetaminophen and autism spectrum disorder."

Associations speaking for medical professionals and healthcare providers concur.

ACOG has said paracetamol - the primary component in Tylenol - is a restricted selection for pregnant women to manage discomfort and elevated temperature, which can pose serious health risks if ignored.

"In multiple decades of studies on the utilization of acetaminophen in gestation, no reliable research has successfully concluded that the use of acetaminophen in any period of pregnancy leads to brain development issues in young ones," the organization commented.

This legal action mentions current declarations from the former administration in arguing the drug is reportedly hazardous.

Last month, Trump raised alarms from medical authorities when he told pregnant women to "struggle intensely" not to take acetaminophen when ill.

The US Food and Drug Administration then published an announcement that doctors should consider limiting the usage of acetaminophen, while also stating that "a direct connection" between the medication and autism spectrum disorder in minors has not been established.

The Health Department head RFK Jr, who supervises the Food and Drug Administration, had promised in spring to undertake "a massive testing and research effort" that would identify the cause of autism spectrum disorder in a short period.

But experts cautioned that finding a unique factor of autism - considered by experts to be the consequence of a complex mix of inherited and environmental factors - would be difficult.

Autism spectrum disorder is a category of permanent neurological difference and disability that affects how persons experience and interact with the environment, and is identified using physician assessments.

In his court filing, Paxton - who supports Trump who is campaigning for federal office - claims the manufacturer and J&J "deliberately disregarded and tried to quiet the research" around acetaminophen and autism.

This legal action aims to force the corporations "destroy any marketing or advertising" that states acetaminophen is safe for women during pregnancy.

The court case parallels the concerns of a group of guardians of minors with autism spectrum disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder who sued the manufacturers of Tylenol in 2022.

The court rejected the legal action, saying research from the parents' expert witnesses was not conclusive.