Makary on RFK Jr.’s claims about Tylenol and autism: ‘We are still talking about it’

FDA Commissioner Discusses Autism Reports

Marty McCurry, the Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), mentioned on Friday that the agency hasn’t finalized any upcoming reports regarding autism. There are speculations, particularly from the Wall Street Journal, about Robert F. Kennedy Jr. revealing a link between Tylenol and autism, suggesting that expectant mothers should reconsider using painkillers.

“The report hasn’t been written, and discussions are still ongoing, so there’s nothing concrete to share. The interest from the Wall Street Journal likely stems from recent research at Harvard University regarding Tylenol and autism,” McCurry said.

He added that both President Biden and Kennedy have prioritized autism research. “We’re making significant progress. There’s a wealth of research we’re reviewing, and I think we can expect some interesting findings later this month,” he told Blake Berman during the interview.

Kamboo, the parent company of Tylenol, did not respond promptly to inquiries from The Hill regarding the matter. However, a spokesperson did assure the Journal that “nothing is more important to us than the health and safety of our users.”

“We’re continuously assessing the science and maintain that there’s no causal link between acetaminophen use during pregnancy and autism,” the spokesperson reiterated.

A 2024 report from the Journal of the American Medical Association noted that acetaminophen, commonly associated with Tylenol, was found not to correlate with autism, ADHD, or intellectual disabilities in sibling control studies conducted during pregnancy.

The researchers suggested that some associations observed in different studies might be due to confounding factors.

Despite the findings, numerous lawsuits claim that the drug has contributed to the development of autism in children. McCurry mentioned a wait for the FDA to gather more data before any updated guidelines on medical use are released.

“We’re data-driven, so we’re evaluating the research from Harvard and other institutions like Duke. But, that’s not the primary focus of this report,” he explained.

Kennedy has vowed to release his findings on autism causes in September. Recently, he has faced heightened scrutiny concerning his leadership and skepticism towards vaccines.

Among the 12 Democrats on the Senate Finance Committee, 11 have called for Kennedy to step down, and two family members also made similar requests on Friday.

Republican lawmakers, including Senate Republican Whip John Barrasso, an orthopedic surgeon, criticized Kennedy’s rhetoric around vaccines, considering some of his comments a potential risk to public health.

“I advocate for vaccines. As a doctor, I have confidence in vaccines,” Barrasso stated during a recent hearing. “I’ve been concerned about this ever since his confirmation hearing, where he committed to upholding the highest vaccine standards,” he noted.

Last week, Susan Monales, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), was unexpectedly removed from her leadership position, leading to questions concerning internal policies under Kennedy after the resignation of four senior officials from the health agency.