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Tylenol maker seeks reversal after court revives more than 500 autism lawsuits. September 11, 2026 From Dispatch Room Tylenol maker Kenvue and several of America's largest pharmacy and retail chains have asked a federal appeals court to reconsider its decision reviving more than 500 lawsuits alleging that use of the painkiller during pregnancy is linked to autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in children. The companies filed their request with the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan after a three-judge panel revived the cases on July 13. The latest filing puts the long-running dispute over the scientific evidence behind the claims back before the appeals court. The lawsuits were brought by parents and guardians who allege that prenatal exposure to acetaminophen, the active ingredient in Tylenol, contributed to autism or ADHD in their children. Kenvue and the other defendants dispute the allegations and argue that the scientific evidence presented by the plaintiffs is not sufficiently reliable to go before a jury. There is currently no firm scientific evidence establishing that Tylenol use during pregnancy causes autism or ADHD. U.S. District Judge Denise Cote had previously excluded testimony from three experts offered by the plaintiffs, a decision that effectively derailed the cases before the appeals court revived them. The experts are Andrea Baccarelli, dean of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health; Eric Hollander, a psychiatry professor at Albert Einstein College of Medicine; and Brandon Pearson, a toxicologist formerly with Columbia University. The defendants argue that the appeals court should have deferred more heavily to Cote's assessment of whether the proposed expert evidence was sufficiently reliable. In Thursday's filing, the companies argued that federal trial judges serve as gatekeepers responsible for determining whether scientific evidence meets the standard required for admission at trial. They said complex and unsettled scientific questions should not simply be left for juries to resolve without that preliminary judicial scrutiny. If the appeals court refuses to reverse its July decision, the defendants want it to clarify that the three experts' opinions are not automatically admissible and allow Cote to reconsider the evidence. The defendants include major U.S. retailers and pharmacy operators such as Albertsons, Costco, CVS, Dollar General, Dollar Tree, Family Dollar, Kroger, Safeway, 7-Eleven, Target, Walgreens and Walmart. Lawyers representing the plaintiffs did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the latest filing. The 2nd Circuit rarely reconsiders its own decisions, making the companies' request an important but difficult next step in the litigation. The legal fight comes amid renewed public scrutiny of acetaminophen and its use during pregnancy. President Donald Trump and senior U.S. health officials suggested a connection between Tylenol use during pregnancy and autism in September 2025, although the claim has not been established by firm scientific evidence. Doctors and medical organisations continue to regard acetaminophen as the preferred medicine for treating pain and fever during pregnancy when clinically appropriate. Executive Branch Separate research published this week also examined prenatal acetaminophen exposure and reproductive development in girls, but the researchers stressed that their findings did not establish that the medicine caused the observed differences. The study's lead researcher said pregnant women who had used the medicine should not be alarmed, and further long-term research would be needed to determine whether the findings have any implications for later fertility. Kenvue, which was spun off from Johnson & Johnson in 2023, now wants the appeals court either to reconsider the July ruling or give the trial judge another opportunity to examine the disputed expert evidence. The outcome could determine whether hundreds of Tylenol cases proceed toward trials or again face significant hurdles over the scientific evidence supporting the plaintiffs' claims. Local News

Procurement LIVE: the Women in Procurement Summit panel. September 08, 2026 Procurement LIVE is underway as leaders from Kenvue, Randstad, BSI and Aviva revealed their experiences and challenges within the industry Procurement LIVE is underway, and the event's opening panel, the Women in Procurement Summit, brought together Alexandra Tarmo, Vice President of the Procurement Centre of Excellence at Kenvue, Yvonne Moya, VP of Global Procurement at Randstad, Lisa Egan, Global Head of Procurement at BSI, and Charlene Reid, Shared Services Lead for Group Procurement at Aviva. Together, the four sat down to cover everything from formative career moments and difficult bosses to questioning whether championing women should really be women's job alone. When I started, I don't think there were women heads of procurement. So it was very much male-dominated. Lisa Egan, Global Head of Procurement at BSI Mentors and moments. Every panellist could point to a specific person, or a specific moment, that changed the direction of their career. Procurement has traditionally lacked the kind of structured sponsorship programmes found in other corporate functions, meaning career progression has depended less on formal pathways and more on individual leaders choosing to advocate for them. For Lisa, that advocacy came from the people around her early on: "There are some people here that actually were part of that journey for me. Either peers that were amazing support and just made going to work an absolute delight, through to senior leaders who were sponsors, had no line management responsibility for me anyway, but were still leaning in, guiding, telling me to wear the crazy shoes." Line management itself can shape a career just as decisively as colleague support, particularly when that relationship goes through highs and lows. "I just remember how different it was to have a line manager that really is supportive, that really is supporting your growth and also a promotion, because that was not something I had before," Yvonne explained. Career moves within the industry, particularly from indirect into direct procurement, can be difficult to break into, often seen as requiring a technical background many procurement professionals don't have on paper. Alexandra credited a male mentor who pushed her to make that exact transition, one she was convinced she'd never be given the chance to make: "He was very harsh on me, and he told me, 'If you don't ask, you will never get it.' There is no reason why they will not trust you. I went and I asked my boss and I got the job six months later." Key Facts: Women in Procurement Summit * Job descriptions - Alexandra urged recruiters to reread job postings, as many women won't apply unless "100% ready" * Panel diversity - Yvonne called on conferences to mix panels, not run all-male line-ups * Six years at Randstad - Yvonne has led global procurement there since its inception * Fifteen years, three companies - Charlene's career spans RBS, Direct Line and Aviva through divestment and acquisition * One shared conviction - all four panellists agreed men must be part of championing women, not just women themselves Changes in the procurement industry. Asked how much progress the industry has genuinely made, the panel's answers were honest rather than celebratory. Procurement leadership has been dominated by male executives throughout the years, particularly at director level and above. While that disparity has shifted, the panellists were clear that visibility alone doesn't tell the whole story. Lisa noted the shift in at the top of the industry: "When I started, I don't think there were women heads of procurement. So it was very much male-dominated. Actually looking around and seeing there's much more representation is massive." Representation is one measure of progress, but it doesn't account for what happens once women are actually in senior roles, the pressure to prove themselves and the tendency to internalise setbacks rather than challenge them. Yvonne pushed back on the idea that the work is done, pointing instead to barriers that persist regardless of who's in the room: "I don't know why these barriers are up, right? You need role models, you need examples and then you fall into imposter syndrome and you spiral with yourself," "Realising what you can and cannot do, and where it's time to set boundaries, that was something that has opened more doors than it has closed." Is championing women a job for women alone? The panel's most pointed exchange came from an audience question, which asked directly whether the responsibility to champion other women unfairly falls on women rather than being shared equally with men. "I think it's probably more of a responsibility if you're a woman to help other women follow the way and support women. But I also have; my best mentors have probably been men, but it just happened that they were the best. I don't think it's gender relevant," said Alexandra Lisa took the question in a different direction arguing that framing it around gender at all misses the point of what good leadership should look like: "A company's biggest asset is its people. It is incumbent upon leaders to make sure you're nurturing your entire talent base. It's not one way or the other." Charlene argued that support from men is vital if the industry wants to see change: "I do think we need men to champion us. I understand how difficult that is when it's a very male-dominated industry and team, and it's just trying to cut through that." Key companies. Headquarters: Summit, US CEO: Kirk Perry Kenvue is a global consumer health enterprise producing iconic personal care, oral health and essential wellness products. Managing complex multi-region supply chains, the business drives sustainable sourcing, high-volume automated manufacturing and digital inventory integration across international distribution networks. By optimising procurement frameworks and raw material logistics, the organisation ensures robust production continuity and rapid market delivery for essential healthcare brands worldwide. Headquarters: Diemen, Netherlands CEO: Sander van 't Noordende Randstad is a multinational human resources and talent solutions provider supporting global enterprise supply chains. The organisation manages contingent workforce solutions, strategic talent acquisition and operational staffing across industrial sectors. By deploying advanced workforce technology and tailored recruitment frameworks, the enterprise enables manufacturing and logistical organisations to maintain workforce resilience, adapt to labor market fluctuations and optimise operational efficiency. Headquarters: London, United Kingdom CEO: Susan Taylor Martin BSI is a global standards and business improvement organisation establishing quality, safety and sustainability benchmarks. Operating across international industrial sectors, the institution delivers technical auditing, management system certification and supply chain risk mitigation frameworks. BSI empowers enterprise manufacturers to navigate regulatory compliance, embed ethical sourcing practices and strengthen operational resilience through standardised operational assessment. Headquarters: London, United Kingdom CEO: Dame Amanda Blanc Aviva is a major international insurance and asset management enterprise delivering comprehensive risk protection and financial services. The company manages complex commercial procurement networks, IT infrastructure investments and strategic supplier relationships across core markets. By implementing sustainable sourcing criteria and driving operational efficiencies throughout its shared services, the organisation maintains resilient business operations and long-term value delivery. Executives. * Alexandra Tarmo Vice President, Procurement Centre of Excellence * Charlene Reid Head of Shared Services Procurement * Lisa Egan Global Head of Procurement * Yvonne Moya VP | Group Global Procurement Company Portals