The top legal official in Texas Paxton is suing the makers of acetaminophen, asserting the firms hid potential risks that the drug posed to children's brain development.
The court filing comes four weeks after President Donald Trump advocated an unverified association between consuming Tylenol - alternatively called acetaminophen - during pregnancy and autism in young ones.
The attorney general is taking legal action against J&J, which previously sold the drug, the only pain reliever approved for pregnant women, and Kenvue, which presently makes it.
In a declaration, he claimed they "betrayed America by gaining financially from pain and pushing pills ignoring the potential hazards."
Kenvue asserts there is insufficient reliable data linking acetaminophen to autism spectrum disorder.
"These manufacturers lied for decades, intentionally threatening numerous people to line their pockets," Paxton, from the Republican party, stated.
Kenvue said in a statement that it was "deeply concerned by the perpetuation of misinformation on the security of paracetamol and the possible consequences that could have on the health of women and children in America."
On its online platform, the company also said it had "regularly reviewed the applicable studies and there is no credible data that indicates a verified association between taking acetaminophen and autism."
Organizations acting on behalf of physicians and health professionals concur.
ACOG has declared paracetamol - the main ingredient in acetaminophen - is one of the few options for pregnant women to address discomfort and elevated temperature, which can pose significant medical dangers if not addressed.
"In over twenty years of investigation on the use of acetaminophen in pregnancy, zero credible investigations has conclusively proven that the consumption of paracetamol in any trimester of pregnancy causes neurological conditions in children," the group said.
This legal action references recent announcements from the previous government in asserting the drug is allegedly unsafe.
Recently, Trump raised alarms from health experts when he instructed pregnant women to "fight like hell" not to consume Tylenol when sick.
The US Food and Drug Administration then published an announcement that doctors should contemplate reducing the usage of acetaminophen, while also mentioning that "a proven link" between the drug and autism in minors has remains unverified.
The Health Department head Robert F Kennedy Jr, who manages the FDA, had vowed in spring to initiate "a massive testing and research effort" that would identify the cause of autism in a short period.
But specialists warned that identifying a sole reason of autism spectrum disorder - considered by experts to be the result of a complicated interplay of genetic and surrounding conditions - would not be simple.
Autism is a type of enduring cognitive variation and disability that impacts how people experience and engage with the environment, and is identified using medical professional evaluations.
In his court filing, Paxton - aligned with the former president who is campaigning for federal office - alleges the manufacturer and Johnson & Johnson "intentionally overlooked and attempted to silence the research" around paracetamol and autism spectrum disorder.
The lawsuit aims to force the corporations "eliminate any commercial messaging" that asserts Tylenol is safe for expectant mothers.
The court case parallels the complaints of a collection of mothers and fathers of minors with autism spectrum disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder who filed suit against the makers of Tylenol in recently.
Judicial authorities rejected the lawsuit, declaring investigations from the parents' expert witnesses was not conclusive.
