AUSTIN, Texas: Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has filed a lawsuit against the makers of Tylenol, accusing them of misleading pregnant women about the drug’s safety.

Paxton, a Republican U.S. Senate candidate and ally of President Donald Trump, said the companies Johnson & Johnson and Kenvue falsely promoted Tylenol as the only safe painkiller for pregnant women, even though, he claims, acetaminophen — the drug’s main ingredient — could increase the risk of autism and other developmental disorders.

The lawsuit says the companies violated Texas consumer protection laws by hiding potential risks and deceptively marketing Tylenol. It also claims Johnson & Johnson tried to avoid responsibility by transferring its liabilities to Kenvue, which now runs its former consumer health business.

Paxton accused the companies of putting profits over safety, saying, “Big Pharma betrayed America by pushing pills regardless of the risks.”

Kenvue, based in New Jersey, denied the accusations and said acetaminophen is safe and widely recommended by doctors, including for pregnant women. The company said it would defend itself in court and warned that spreading misinformation about acetaminophen could harm women and children.

Medical experts have studied possible links between Tylenol use during pregnancy and autism, but no conclusive evidence has been found.

The Texas lawsuit, filed in Panola County, asks for a jury trial and seeks fines of US$10,000 per violation of consumer protection laws. It also calls for the companies to remove any marketing that suggests Tylenol is safe for pregnant women or that denies links to autism or ADHD.