The news: Tylenol remained the most trusted medicine brand in Morning Consult’s annual Most Trusted Brands 2026 ranking, though it fell from No. 4 to No. 19 among 184 US consumer brands. Its net trust score declined by less than 2 percentage points.

Why it matters: Consumer trust in Tylenol held steady despite heightened scrutiny fueled by Trump administration claims linking prenatal acetaminophen (the active ingredient in Tylenol) use to autism, a connection that remains unproven.

The share of consumers who reported seeing negative news about Tylenol spiked to five times its normal level in Morning Consult tracking, peaking in October. The spike followed President Trump's call for pregnant women to avoid the painkiller and HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. 's announcement of plans to add warnings to acetaminophen labels about a potential link between prenatal use and autism and ADHD risk in children.

Acetaminophen use during pregnancy does not increase a child's risk of autism or intellectual disability, per a January review of 43 studies found. Still, Tylenol use fell 10% in the months following the White House press conference, dropping by as much as 20% by the third week after, per a study published in The Lancet. But by December, usage was returning to normal.

Implications for healthcare and pharma brands: For incumbent healthcare brands, consumer familiarity functions as a buffer against politically charged controversy. Tylenol's net trust score dropped less than 2 percentage points even as negative coverage spiked fivefold and short-term usage fell as much as 20%.

The controversy also created moments when consumers sought additional information, highlighting the value of clear, science-based communications across brand websites and digital channels. The modest impact of negative buzz on trust suggests that media attention, consumer behavior, and brand trust are distinct metrics that marketers should evaluate separately.

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