A Texas judge has rejected Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s request to issue a temporary order to stop Tylenol’s maker, Kenview, from claiming amid a lawsuit that the pain and fever drug is safe for pregnant women and children, according to court documents.
In records filed Friday, District Judge Leanne Rafferty in Panola County also rejected Paxton’s unusual request to block Kenview from distributing a $400 million dividend to shareholders later this month.
The denial is an early loss for Paxton in the politically charged case, which relies on the unproven claim that Tylenol causes autism and other disorders — a claim first put forth by President Trump and his anti-vaccine health secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
In a bizarre press conference in September, Trump repeatedly urged Americans not to take the drug. But, scientific studies have not shown that Tylenol (acetaminophen) causes autism or other neurological disorders. Some studies have claimed to find a Organization between Tylenol use and autism, but studies have had significant flaws, and others have found no association. Additionally, Tylenol is considered the safest pain and fever medication for use during pregnancy, and untreated pain and fever in pregnancy is known to cause harm, including an increased risk of autism.
Nevertheless, Paxton filed a lawsuit on October 28, claiming that Kenview and Tylenol’s former parent company, Johnson & Johnson, misleadingly marketed Tylenol as safe while knowing about the increased risk of autism and other disorders. The lawsuit seeks to force Kenview to change the way it markets Tylenol and to pay a fine, among other requests.