Since President Trump appointed him to the post of Health and Human Services Secretary in November of 2024, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., has made a number of health claims at odds with established medical science.
These positions have largely spared attacks at specific brands, until today.
Speaking at the Oval Office, President Trump—flanked by Kennedy and other officials—announced that the FDA will soon take the official line that acetaminophen taken during pregnancy constitutes “a very increased risk of autism,” despite long-established studies indicating that its use is safe.
The announcement took a step beyond a warning about the drug to direct the crosshairs on the leading brand that sells it. “Taking Tylenol is not good,” the President said, adding: “With Tylenol, don’t take it, don’t take it.”
Even if Trump hadn’t name-checked Tylenol, the announcement still constitutes a major headache for the 70-year-old brand. Tylenol is synonymous with acetaminophen. Its parent company Kenvue tops the $10.4 billion global acetaminophen category with a 15% market share, according to data from Global Market Insights.
Depending on how seriously the public takes today’s announcement, Tylenol sales may suffer. Kenvue’s share price had already dipped by 6% midday on Monday.
Kennedy appears to have been influenced by a recent paper by epidemiologists from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and Mount Sinai’s Icahn School of Medicine, which suggests “an association
between acetaminophen exposure during pregnancy and increased incidence of NDDs [neurodevelopmen-
tal disorders.]” The authors also stated that their work did not prove a definitive link.
Tylenol and Kenvue wasted no time taking to the battlements.
“We believe independent, sound science clearly shows that taking acetaminophen does not cause autism,” Kenvue shared with ADWEEK in a statement. “We strongly disagree with any suggestion otherwise and are deeply concerned with the health risk this poses for expecting mothers.”
The statement continued: “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.”
If the circumstances are right, brands can be vulnerable to critical statements made in the public sphere. In 2004, for example, the movie Super Size Me (in which director Morgan Spurlock lived solely off McDonald’s for 30 days) put the chain’s menu under the microscope. A short time later, McDonald’s discontinued its mega portions and boosted its salad offerings.
Kennedy has already gone on the record with a number of medical claims that are at odds with scientific research.
