Publication date: Aug 13, 2026
According to a Michigan Medicine study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, leucovorin prescriptions for children increased significantly following a federal press conference promoting its use for autism. Analyzing data from nearly 150,000 leucovorin prescriptions filled by over 47,000 children in 2025, researchers found a 46% rise in prescriptions after the announcement, jumping from 734 to 5,858 weekly. The increase was most pronounced among children aged 6-11 and those residing in the southern United States, with limited evidence supporting leucovorin’s effectiveness for autism. This surge highlights concerns about potential off-label prescribing and the need for rigorous scientific evaluation of the drug’s safety and efficacy in pediatric populations.
| Concepts | Keywords |
|---|---|
| Autism | |
| Conference | |
| Dispensing | |
| Drug | |
| England | |
| Federal | |
| Increased | |
| Journal | |
| Label | |
| Leucovorin | |
| Officials | |
| Prescriptions | |
| Press |
Semantics
| Type | Source | Name |
|---|---|---|
| drug | DRUGBANK | Folic Acid |
| disease | MESH | cancer |
| drug | DRUGBANK | Methotrexate |
| disease | MESH | included |
| drug | DRUGBANK | Leucovorin |
| disease | MESH | autism |
| disease | MESH | plan |