Last September, President Donald Trump, Robert F. Kennedy Jr, and other health officials declared they had uncovered a new, potentially groundbreaking treatment for autism spectrum disorder (ASD): the existing medication leucovorin. A study out today shows that plenty of families believed them. Researchers at the University of California, San Diego examined nationwide prescription trends of the drug last year. The prescription rate of leucovorin among children with autism skyrocketed by late 2025, particularly following the September announcement, they found. The results indicate that Trump’s endorsement had significant influence on these families, the researchers say, despite the lack of data supporting the drug’s effectiveness. “Families of children with ASD are often searching for therapies that might improve quality of life, especially when treatment options are limited,” the study’s lead author Joshua Rothman, a clinical assistant professor of pediatrics at UCSD’s school of medicine, told Gizmodo. “While some small studies have shown promise, we don’t yet have convincing evidence to recommend this treatment to all children with ASD.”
The Trump bump The announcement last September largely focused on acetaminophen (Tylenol). At that time, Trump and other officials proclaimed to have uncovered a link between women taking acetaminophen during pregnancy and a higher risk of autism in their children. Many experts disagreed with this assertation, and more recent studies have continued to find evidence against it. During that same press conference, Trump officials touted leucovorin as an autism treatment.
