Kenvue says Tylenol is safe, but stock hits record low as Trump makes unproven link to autism

By Tomi Kilgore and Victor Reklaitis

Trump speaks on findings linking acetaminophen use during pregnancy to autism; Kenvue maintains that 'sound science' shows no link

Kenvue's stock hit a record low Monday as investors express concerns over what President Donald Trump would say regarding the use of acetaminophen - the active ingredient in Tylenol - and autism.

Shares of Kenvue Inc. sank to a record low Monday, as President Donald Trump told women to avoid taking Kenvue's Tylenol, the brand name for acetaminophen, during pregnancy, claiming a possible connection with autism for the children.

Acetaminophen, commonly known as Tylenol, can be associated with a "very increased" risk of autism, Trump said late Monday. "So taking Tylenol is not good. I'll say it, it's not good."

Trump went on to say that pregnant women should try to "tough it out" when feeling ill, rather than taking Tylenol.

"I want to say it like it is, don't take Tylenol ... fight like hell not to take it," unless absolutely necessary and under a doctor's directions, Trump said, repeating that warning numerous times during a press conference.

Those comments contradict scientific research, which has not conclusively found a causal link between autism and exposure to acetaminophen.

In a statement Monday, FDA Commissioner Martin Makary tempered Trump's comments, acknowledging no proven causal relationship, saying "In the spirit of patient safety and prudent medicine, clinicians should consider minimizing the use of acetaminophen during pregnancy for routine low-grade fevers. This consideration should also be balanced with the fact that acetaminophen is the safest over-the-counter alternative in pregnancy among all analgesics and antipyretics."

While this isn't a new concern for Kenvue - as reports surfaced earlier this month that health officials would make that connection - the fact that Trump would reveal the news after hours injected a little more fear into investors during the trading day.

The consumer-health company's stock (KVUE) closed at an all-time low Monday, down 7.5%, its largest one-day percentage drop since Sept. 5, when it fell 9.4%. The stock recovered some ground in the after-hours session, up more than 4% as the White House press conference continued. Kenvue's stock began trading in May 2023, following the company's separation from Johnson & Johnson (JNJ).

The Washington Post reported over the weekend that the Trump administration would raise concerns over the use of acetaminophen - the active ingredient in Tylenol - by pregnant women. That report comes a little more than two weeks after the Wall Street Journal reported that U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. would report a link between use of acetaminophen and autism.

But Trump himself released that report Monday rather than Kennedy, who has faced criticism, even from Republicans, regarding his skeptical views regarding vaccinations.

Kenvue took issue with the announcement, as it did after the Wall Street Journal report earlier this month, by saying acetaminophen is the safest pain-relief option for pregnant women.

"We believe independent, sound science clearly shows that taking acetaminophen does not cause autism," a company spokesperson wrote, in an emailed response to MarketWatch. "We strongly disagree with any suggestion otherwise and are deeply concerned with the health risk this poses for expecting mothers."

Claudia Assis contributed.

-Tomi Kilgore -Victor Reklaitis

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09-22-25 2020ET