A dean of Harvard University received at least $ 150,000 US for testifying to Tylenol taking for pregnant women, two years before his research was exploited by the Trump administration to link the drug to autism.
Andrea A. Baccarelli, the dean of the Harvard public health school, testified as an expert in a trial targeting Johnson and Johnson, the manufacturer of Tylenol, in 2023. He represented the parents who were pursuing the company.
However, the American district judge Denise L. COTE rejected the cause for lack of sufficient scientific evidence. In her judgment, she claimed thatrea A. Baccarelli had “sorted on the aspect and distorted study results”.
The work of Mr. Baccarelli was still used by the Trump administration to forge a link between tylenol and autism. In August, the researcher published a study which concluded an association between the prenatal acetaminophen (the chemical compound contained in tylenol) and an increased incidence of neurodevelopmental disorders such as ADHD and autism.
The study was cited as proof of a “causal relationship” between treatment and autism by the American food and medication commissioner Marty Makary, during a press conference on Monday.
This interpretation has been strongly criticized by the scientific community, which affirms that existing evidence only demonstrates a correlation, and not causality.
In a declaration at the White House, Andrea A. Baccarelli only referred to “the possibility of a causal relationship”.
With information from Harvard Crimson
