(Reuters) - Kenvue's interim CEO Kirk Perry met Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to try and dissuade him from listing Tylenol as a potential cause of autism in an upcoming report, the Wall Street Journal said on Friday, citing a person familiar with the matter.
Perry argued at the hastily scheduled meeting this week that there was no clear link between the two, the report said.
The newspaper reported on September 5 that the U.S. health secretary planned to announce that the use of Tylenol, a popular over-the-counter
pain medication, in pregnant women was potentially linked to autism - contrary to medical guidelines that say it was safe to use.
Kenvue shares fell more than 9% to $18.62 after the report last week, but have since recovered marginally.
Kenvue and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration as well as leading medical organizations agree on the safety of acetaminophen, the active ingredient in Tylenol, for use during pregnancy, the company has previously said.
Kenvue executives have also argued that there are few safe alternatives to acetaminophen to reduce fevers in pregnant women, according to the WSJ report.
According to researchers, there is no firm evidence of a link between the use of the drug and autism. Recent studies have yielded conflicting conclusions on whether its use during pregnancy might create risks for the developing fetus.
Wall Street analysts view Kenvue as an acquisition target after it came under pressure from investors, who have criticized its lackluster performance.
(Reporting by Sriparna Roy and Sneha S K in Bengaluru; Editing by Pooja Desai)
