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Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is suing the manufacturers of Tylenol, claiming the firms hid safety concerns that the medication posed to pediatric brain development.

This legal action follows a month after Donald Trump advocated an unproven link between using acetaminophen - also known as paracetamol - during pregnancy and autism spectrum disorder in offspring.

The attorney general is taking legal action against the pharmaceutical giant, which formerly manufactured the drug, the exclusive pain medication approved for pregnant women, and Kenvue, which now manufacturers it.

In a official comment, he claimed they "deceived the public by making money from suffering and promoting medication without regard for the risks."

The company asserts there is lacking scientific proof linking Tylenol to autism.

"These corporations misled for generations, intentionally threatening countless individuals to line their pockets," the attorney general, from the Republican party, said.

Kenvue said in a statement that it was "seriously troubled by the perpetuation of misinformation on the safety of paracetamol and the potential impact that could have on the health of women and children in America."

On its website, the company also mentioned it had "consistently assessed the relevant science and there is lacking reliable evidence that indicates a established connection between consuming acetaminophen and autism spectrum disorder."

Associations representing medical professionals and health professionals agree.

ACOG has said paracetamol - the main ingredient in Tylenol - is a restricted selection for pregnant women to address pain and fever, which can pose major wellness concerns if ignored.

"In more than two decades of studies on the use of paracetamol in gestation, zero credible investigations has definitively established that the use of acetaminophen in any trimester of gestation leads to neurological conditions in young ones," the organization stated.

The court filing references recent announcements from the former administration in asserting the medication is allegedly unsafe.

Last month, the former president caused concern from health experts when he told pregnant women to "struggle intensely" not to use acetaminophen when unwell.

The FDA then released a statement that doctors should consider limiting the use of Tylenol, while also mentioning that "a causal relationship" between the medication and autism spectrum disorder in young ones has remains unverified.

The Health Department head Robert F Kennedy Jr, who supervises the FDA, had vowed in April to undertake "comprehensive study program" that would determine the origin of autism in a short period.

But authorities cautioned that discovering a sole reason of autism - thought by researchers to be the result of a complex mix of inherited and surrounding conditions - would not be simple.

Autism is a type of lifelong neurodivergence and impairment that influences how persons perceive and engage with the world, and is diagnosed using physician assessments.

In his court filing, the attorney general - a Trump ally who is running for federal office - alleges the manufacturer and J&J "intentionally overlooked and attempted to silence the evidence" around paracetamol and autism spectrum disorder.

The case attempts to require the firms "eliminate any promotional materials" that states acetaminophen is secure for expectant mothers.

The Texas lawsuit mirrors the concerns of a group of parents of minors with autism spectrum disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder who sued the producers of Tylenol in 2022.

Judicial authorities dismissed the case, declaring research from the parents' expert witnesses was lacking definitive proof.