The United States government plans to link the active ingredient in fever and pain medication Tylenol to autism, according to a report by the Washington Post, citing sources. It added that officials in the Trump administration officials plan to warn pregnant women against using the medicine unless they have a fever.
According to the WaPo report, the Trump administration will also promote leucovorin, as a potential treatment for autism.
Leucovorin is a prescription medication typically used in cancer treatment to counter harmful side effects of other drugs, Bloomberg reported.
Kenvue denies claims, says decades of rigorous research shows no link to autism
“We strongly disagree with any suggestion otherwise and are deeply concerned with the health risk this poses for expecting mothers,” the company said in a statement on September 21, BB reported.
It added that there is “independent, sound science” showing that taking acetaminophen does not cause autism. “The facts are that over a decade of rigorous research, endorsed by leading medical professionals and global health regulators, confirms there is no credible evidence linking acetaminophen to autism,” Kevenue said.
Tylenol, known as paracetamol in other parts of the world, is among the most common over-the-counter pain medications, the report added.
Notably, earlier reports that the Trump administration was investigating the potential link between Tylenol’s active ingredient acetaminophen and autism had badly hit manufacturer Kenvue’s shares, it said.
Donald Trump: ‘Think we found an answer to autism’
Speaking at a memorial ceremony for far-right conservative activist Charlie Kirk on September 21, United States President Donald Trump said he would hold “one of the most important news conferences” regarding autism, later in the day.
“We think we found an answer to autism. There’s obviously something really wrong, we think we know what that is,” Donald Trump said.
What have US courts said on the matter before?
In late 2023, US Manhattan District Judge Denise Cote rejected the scientific evidence behind lawsuits alleging prenatal exposure to over-the-counter Tylenol caused autism, the BB report said.
In her judgement, Cote concluded that plaintiffs in more than 400 suits against makers and sellers of acetaminophen relied on flawed science in seeking to prove an increased risk of developmental issues in babies.
A subsequent study published in 2024 that analysed the records of nearly 2.5 million siblings born in Sweden from 1995 through 2019 found no increased risk of autism when their mothers took acetaminophen while pregnant.
(With inputs from Bloomberg)
