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Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is taking legal action against the makers of acetaminophen, asserting the firms hid potential risks that the pain reliever presented to pediatric brain development.

The court filing arrives a month after President Donald Trump advocated an unsubstantiated connection between consuming acetaminophen - referred to as acetaminophen - during pregnancy and autism spectrum disorder in children.

The attorney general is suing Johnson & Johnson, which formerly manufactured the medication, the only pain reliever suggested for expectant mothers, and the current manufacturer, which presently makes it.

In a declaration, he said they "deceived the public by gaining financially from pain and pushing pills ignoring the dangers."

Kenvue asserts there is lacking scientific proof connecting acetaminophen to autism.

"These companies lied for decades, deliberately risking numerous people to line their pockets," Paxton, a Republican, said.

The manufacturer said in a statement that it was "deeply concerned by the spread of false claims on the security of acetaminophen and the potential impact that could have on the welfare of American women and children."

On its official site, Kenvue also said it had "continuously evaluated the applicable studies and there is lacking reliable evidence that shows a established connection between consuming acetaminophen and autism."

Groups representing physicians and healthcare providers concur.

ACOG has said acetaminophen - the primary component in Tylenol - is one of the few options for women during pregnancy to address pain and fever, which can present significant medical dangers if not addressed.

"In over twenty years of studies on the utilization of acetaminophen in pregnancy, zero credible investigations has successfully concluded that the consumption of acetaminophen in any stage of pregnancy leads to neurological conditions in children," the association stated.

The court filing references latest statements from the previous government in arguing the medication is potentially dangerous.

Last month, the former president caused concern from medical authorities when he instructed expectant mothers to "fight like hell" not to consume acetaminophen when sick.

The US Food and Drug Administration then published an announcement that medical professionals should think about restricting the consumption of Tylenol, while also stating that "a causal relationship" between the drug and autism spectrum disorder in minors has not been established.

Health Secretary Kennedy, who manages the Food and Drug Administration, had vowed in April to conduct "extensive scientific investigation" that would identify the source of autism spectrum disorder in a limited time.

But specialists cautioned that finding a single cause of autism - considered by experts to be the outcome of a complex mix of genetic and surrounding conditions - would be difficult.

Autism is a category of enduring cognitive variation and condition that affects how individuals experience and interact with the world, and is diagnosed using medical professional evaluations.

In his court filing, the attorney general - who supports Trump who is running for federal office - claims the manufacturer and Johnson & Johnson "deliberately disregarded and tried to quiet the evidence" around acetaminophen and autism.

The case seeks to make the firms "destroy any marketing or advertising" that states acetaminophen is safe for women during pregnancy.

This legal action mirrors the grievances of a group of parents of minors with autism spectrum disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder who took legal action against the manufacturers of acetaminophen in recently.

The court threw out the lawsuit, stating studies from the family's specialists was lacking definitive proof.