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Texas Attorney General Paxton is suing the makers of Tylenol, claiming the firms concealed safety concerns that the drug presented to pediatric brain development.

The lawsuit arrives four weeks after Donald Trump advocated an unverified association between taking acetaminophen - also known as acetaminophen - during pregnancy and autism spectrum disorder in children.

Paxton is suing Johnson & Johnson, which once produced the drug, the only pain reliever recommended for expectant mothers, and Kenvue, which now manufacturers it.

In a statement, he said they "misled consumers by profiting off of pain and marketing drugs regardless of the risks."

The company says there is no credible evidence connecting Tylenol to autism.

"These manufacturers misled for generations, intentionally threatening countless individuals to increase profits," the attorney general, from the Republican party, said.

The manufacturer commented that it was "seriously troubled by the perpetuation of misinformation on the security of acetaminophen and the possible consequences that could have on the welfare of American women and children."

On its website, the company also mentioned it had "consistently assessed the applicable studies and there is no credible data that demonstrates a proven link between using acetaminophen and autism."

Organizations acting on behalf of doctors and health professionals share this view.

The leading OB-GYN organization has declared acetaminophen - the main ingredient in acetaminophen - is among limited choices for expectant mothers to manage discomfort and fever, which can create significant medical dangers if ignored.

"In over twenty years of research on the consumption of acetaminophen in gestation, no reliable research has definitively established that the use of paracetamol in any stage of pregnancy results in brain development issues in young ones," the group said.

The lawsuit cites recent announcements from the previous government in claiming the drug is allegedly unsafe.

Last month, Trump raised alarms from public health officials when he advised pregnant women to "struggle intensely" not to consume Tylenol when sick.

Federal regulators then published an announcement that doctors should contemplate reducing the use of acetaminophen, while also declaring that "a direct connection" between the medication and autism spectrum disorder in children has not been proven.

The Health Department head Robert F Kennedy Jr, who manages the Food and Drug Administration, had promised in spring to conduct "a massive testing and research effort" that would identify the origin of autism spectrum disorder in a matter of months.

But specialists warned that identifying a unique factor of autism - considered by experts to be the outcome of a complicated interplay of genetic and surrounding conditions - would not be simple.

Autism is a category of lifelong neurodivergence and disability that affects how people perceive and engage with the world, and is recognized using doctors' observations.

In his legal document, the attorney general - aligned with the former president who is seeking the Senate - claims Kenvue and J&J "intentionally overlooked and sought to suppress the science" around paracetamol and autism spectrum disorder.

The lawsuit attempts to require the corporations "eliminate any commercial messaging" that claims Tylenol is secure for pregnant women.

The court case mirrors the concerns of a assembly of guardians of children with autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder who sued the producers of acetaminophen in 2022.

A federal judge dismissed the case, declaring studies from the parents' expert witnesses was not conclusive.