Scientist behind study cited by admin paid $150K by plaintiffs suing Tylenol manufacturer

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Dr. Andrea Baccarelli's expert testimony was thrown out by a federal judge, who said he cherry picked and misrepresented study results.

By: Jacob Gardenswartz

Posted 3:56 PM, Sep 24, 2025 and last updated 4:44 PM, Sep 24, 2025

The research scientist behind a study purporting to show a link between Tylenol use during pregnancy and increased rates of neurological disorders like autism spectrum disorder and ADHD was previously paid at least $150,000 to provide expert testimony for plaintiffs in a lawsuit against Tylenol’s then-manufacturer, Scripps News has learned.

The plaintiffs in that case, a group of parents and guardians of children later diagnosed with autism and ADHD, sought significant damages from Johnson & Johnson, alleging the use of Tylenol’s active ingredient acetaminophen contributed to their children’s diagnoses. Court filings reveal Dr. Andrea Baccarelli, then a professor at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, said in sworn testimony that he provided more than 200 hours of work on behalf of the plaintiffs at $700 per hour, totaling at least $150,000.

But Denise Cote, the federal judge overseeing the case in the Southern District of New York, ultimately dismissed the lawsuit and tossed out Baccarelli's expert testimony.

Baccarelli "cherry-picked and misrepresented study results and refused to acknowledge the role of genetics in the etiology" of autism and ADHD, Cote wrote in her opinion ...

https://www.scrippsnews.com/health/scientist-behind-autism-study-cited-by-trump-admin-paid-150k-by-plaintiffs-suing-tylenol-manufacturer

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1. Attorneys urge court overseeing Tylenol autism lawsuits to consider administration's stance

By Diana Novak Jones
September 25, 20253:46 PM EDTUpdated September 25, 2025

Sept 24 (Reuters) - Families appealing the dismissal of their lawsuits alleging that Kenvue's Tylenol or generic versions of the pain-relief medication caused their children's autism are asking an appeals court to consider President Donald Trump's new advice that pregnant women avoid the pain killer as it decides whether to revive their lawsuits.

Ashley Keller, an attorney representing the plaintiffs, filed a letter Wednesday alerting the New York-based 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to the Trump administration’s stance on the alleged link between Tylenol and autism. In a news conference at the White House on Monday, Trump delivered medical advice to pregnant women, repeatedly telling them not to use acetaminophen, the active ingredient in Tylenol ...

https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/attorneys-urge-court-overseeing-tylenol-autism-lawsuits-consider-trump-2025-09-25/