The top legal official in Texas Ken Paxton is filing a lawsuit against the producers of acetaminophen, alleging the companies withheld potential risks that the drug created to pediatric cognitive development.
This legal action comes four weeks after Donald Trump promoted an unproven link between using Tylenol - also known as paracetamol - throughout gestation and autism in children.
The attorney general is filing suit against J&J, which formerly manufactured the drug, the only pain reliever recommended for women during pregnancy, and Kenvue, which now manufacturers it.
In a statement, he stated they "betrayed America by profiting off of discomfort and pushing pills without regard for the potential hazards."
The manufacturer says there is lacking scientific proof tying acetaminophen to autism.
"These companies lied for decades, knowingly endangering millions to line their pockets," Paxton, a Republican, said.
The manufacturer commented that it was "seriously troubled by the dissemination of inaccurate information on the security of paracetamol and the likely effects that could have on the welfare of US mothers and children."
On its official site, the company also mentioned it had "regularly reviewed the applicable studies and there is lacking reliable evidence that shows a verified association between using paracetamol and autism spectrum disorder."
Organizations acting on behalf of doctors and healthcare providers agree.
The leading OB-GYN organization has said paracetamol - the primary component in Tylenol - is a restricted selection for pregnant women to treat discomfort and elevated temperature, which can create significant medical dangers if not addressed.
"In over twenty years of investigation on the consumption of paracetamol in pregnancy, zero credible investigations has definitively established that the use of paracetamol in any period of pregnancy causes brain development issues in young ones," the group stated.
The lawsuit mentions recent announcements from the previous government in arguing the medication is reportedly hazardous.
Recently, the former president raised alarms from health experts when he told women during pregnancy to "fight like hell" not to take acetaminophen when ill.
Federal regulators then published an announcement that medical professionals should think about restricting the usage of Tylenol, while also mentioning that "a direct connection" between the drug and autism spectrum disorder in young ones has remains unverified.
Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr, who oversees the FDA, had pledged in spring to undertake "extensive scientific investigation" that would establish the cause of autism spectrum disorder in a matter of months.
But specialists advised that discovering a single cause of autism spectrum disorder - believed by scientists to be the consequence of a complicated interplay of inherited and environmental factors - would be difficult.
Autism spectrum disorder is a type of permanent neurological difference and impairment that affects how persons perceive and interact with the world, and is identified using medical professional evaluations.
In his court filing, Paxton - aligned with the former president who is running for US Senate - asserts the manufacturer and Johnson & Johnson "willfully ignored and attempted to silence the science" around acetaminophen and autism spectrum disorder.
The case aims to force the companies "destroy any promotional materials" that claims acetaminophen is secure for women during pregnancy.
This legal action echoes the concerns of a collection of parents of minors with autism and ADHD who took legal action against the makers of acetaminophen in two years ago.
Judicial authorities threw out the case, stating research from the plaintiffs' authorities was lacking definitive proof.
