Shares of Kenvue, the manufacturer of Tylenol (active ingredient - paracetamol), fell on Monday after reports that US President Donald Trump linked the use of the drug by pregnant women to the risk of autism. This is reported by the Financial Times, writes UNN.
Details
It is noted that Kenvue's share price fell by 7% to its lowest level since its spin-off from its parent company Johnson & Johnson.
Tylenol holds a significant share of the paracetamol market in the US and is the most well-known brand of this drug in the country.
According to Trump, pregnant women and infants should not take Tylenol. "Just don't take it unless it's absolutely necessary. Fight as hard as you can to avoid taking it," he said at a White House event.
Meanwhile, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that it has initiated a procedure to change the labeling of paracetamol with a warning about possible increased risks of autism and attention disorders. The regulator also sent a letter to doctors recommending that medical professionals consider minimizing the use of paracetamol during pregnancy when treating minor fevers.
Addition
Earlier this month, Kenvue's shares already fell to their lowest level in more than a year after The Wall Street Journal reported that US Secretary of Health Robert F. Kennedy Jr. plans to disclose a link between Tylenol use by pregnant women and autism. Kennedy stated that he plans to publish data on the causes of autism by the end of September.
Kennedy has previously publicly expressed skepticism about some widely used drugs and their impact on health, including vaccines.
The publication notes that concerns about acetaminophen as a possible factor in the development of autism have been circulating for a long time. Lawyers have already filed lawsuits against Kenvue demanding recognition of the link between Tylenol and autism and attention deficit disorder, but the courts have dismissed these cases.
Recall
US President Donald Trump announced that the FDA will provide recommendations on a possible link between acetaminophen use by pregnant women and an increased risk of autism in children. Women are advised to limit the use of Tylenol during pregnancy without medical necessity, although experts note the controversial nature of scientific data.