Kenvue loses bid for rehearing after Tylenol autism lawsuits revived

By Diana Novak Jones

Oct 16 (Reuters) - A US appeals court said on Friday it won’t reconsider a ruling reviving hundreds of lawsuits against Tylenol maker Kenvue alleging the popular painkiller can cause autism.

• In a brief order, the 2nd US Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan said it was rejecting a request from the company, which was spun off from Johnson & Johnson, to reconsider the three-judge panel’s ruling or to have the full court hear the case

• In July, the panel revived about 500 lawsuits filed by parents over claims Tylenol use during pregnancy is linked to autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children

• In that ruling, the court said a district court judge improperly excluded expert testimony from three doctors supporting the parents’ claims

• Kenvue asked the court to reconsider the decision, saying district judges are the "true gatekeepers" who decide ⁠whether evidence is reliable enough to be admitted at trial

• A spokesperson for Kenvue did not immediately respond to a request for comment

• Friday’s ruling could pave the way for the company to appeal to the US Supreme Court

• The issue drew greater attention after PresidentDonald Trump and top US health officials suggested a ​link to autism

• There is no firm scientific evidence ​of a link between the drug and the conditions