Parents struggle to find autism related medication amid leucovorin shortage
Demand rose sharply after U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. mentioned it in September as a potential treatment for children with Autism.
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Parents are scrambling to find a possible treatment for speech‑related deficits associated with autism spectrum disorder, leading to a nationwide shortage of the medication leucovorin.
Leucovorin is normally used to counteract the side effects of chemotherapy. But demand rose sharply after U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. mentioned it in September as a potential option for treatment for children on the spectrum.
Prescriptions have doubled in recent months, leaving many pharmacies without supply.
The Department of Health and Human Services says leucovorin is not a cure for ASD. Officials say the medication “may only lead to improvements in speech‑related deficits for a subset of children with ASD” and must be used under close medical supervision and alongside non‑pharmacological therapies.
