The end of 2015 brought with it the successful end to Risperdal litigation filed by Thomas Law Offices, the Office of the Kentucky Attorney General and the Houston Law Firm of Bailey Peavy Bailey Cowan and Heckman.  The lawsuit, which alleged the drug company violated the Kentucky Consumer Protection Act, sought penalties against the company and its parent, Johnson & Johnson.

Johnson & Johnson recently paid $2.2 billion to settle a decade-long investigation into the company’s illegal promotion of the drug Risperdal.  The settlement was split between the federal government and multiple states and was the largest of its kind in U.S. history.  The company also failed to disclose certain possible health risks from taking the drug, leading to millions of dollars in private settlements paid to individuals who experienced severe side effects.

Risperdal, the name used for the drug risperidone, is an antipsychotic medication prescribed to treat patients with schizophrenia and certain problems caused by bipolar disorder.  Johnson & Johnson aggressively marketed the drug from 1999-2005 for use in elderly patients with dementia and children with disabilities, despite not receiving approval for childhood use until 2006.  The government investigations revealed that Johnson & Johnson offered sales representatives incentives to promote unapproved uses to doctors, paid kickbacks to nursing home pharmacies, and offered doctors trips and monetary reward if they prescribed Risperdal to more patients.  Onmicare, the leading long term care pharmacy in the U.S., paid $98 million to settle charges that it received compensation for pushing physicians to prescribe Risperdal to nursing home patients.

In the first personal injury lawsuit to go to trial, a 21-year-old male claimed that Risperdal caused him to develop gynecomastia, a condition were boys or men experience swelling of the breast tissue, caused by an imbalance of the hormones estrogen and testosterone.  He was prescribed Risperdal at age 9 even though it was not approved for use by children at the time.  He claimed the drug caused pain, rapid weight gain, damage to his endocrine system, and emotional trauma.  Johnson & Johnson agreed to settle his case on the first day of trial, and later that same month paid settlements in five other personal injury cases involving Risperdal.  Under the agreements, the settlement amounts for each case were kept confidential and Johnson & Johnson was not required to admit any wrongdoing.  The company continues to deny liability for Risperdal injuries.

In an attempt to expose potential conflicts of interest in healthcare, the Affordable Care Act requires full disclosure of financial relationships between drug makers and physicians.  Patients who develop gynecomastia following Risperdal use continue to seek compensation for physical and emotional injuries.  Settlements typically include financial compensation, medical treatment, and counseling services.

If you wish to learn more about legal options available to those affected by the use of Risperdal or other dangerous and defective drugs, contact the Louisville, Kentucky personal injury lawyers at Thomas Law Offices for more information.

Whether the drug makers failed to properly warn doctors and the public about the side effects of Risperdal is the issue being litigated in Philadelphia this winter. Over 1200 cases have been consolidated in a mass tort action filed there, and the first case began in late January.

Risperdal is an antipsychotic drug made by Janssen Pharmaceuticals, which is a subsidiary company of Johnson & Johnson. Johnson & Johnson has already been fined billions of dollars in a settlement for charges that the company illegally marketed Risperdal. In a joint investigation with the U.S. Department of Justice and several states, the government found that the makers aggressively marketed doctors to prescribe Risperdal for unapproved uses, specifically for children with disabilities and the elderly with dementia.

The first case being tried in Philadelphia involves a 20 year-old male who is autistic. He took Risperdal when he was 8 years-old and later developed “large female breasts.” The growths appear to be permanent, with the only way to remove them being a mastectomy.

Risperdal is a commonly prescribed atypical antipsychotic drug, used in the treatment of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. The U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) approved the drug for use in adults in 1993 and then for children in 2007.

Lawsuits have been filed over the issue of side effects caused by the drug when used in children. Many of the suits allege that the drug caused boys to grow breasts. This is believed to have happened due to elevated levels of the hormone prolactin, which stimulates breast development in girls and milk production in pregnant women.

Have you or someone you know been prescribed the drug Risperdal? You should be aware that issues have surfaced concerning side effects caused by the drug.

Risperdal is a commonly prescribed atypical antipsychotic drug, used in the treatment of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the drug for use in adults in 1993 and then for children in 2007.

Dozens of lawsuits have been filed over the issue of side effects caused by the drug when used in children. Many of the suits allege that the drug caused boys who took it to grow breasts. This is believed to have happened due to elevated levels of the hormone prolactin, which stimulates breast development in girls and milk production in pregnant women.