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Risperdal Gynecomastia

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Hundreds of Riperdal gynecomastia lawsuits have been filed in U.S. courts on behalf of men and boys who allegedly experienced excessive breast growth related to use of the atypical antipsychotic medication. Plaintiffs claim that Johnson & Johnson and its Janssen Pharmaceuticals unit concealed the link between Risperdal and gynecomastia from patients and doctors, and failed to provide the public with adequate warnings. Many of the plaintiffs in Risperdal lawsuits began taking the drug as boys, and allege that the medication was  improperly promoted for off-label use in children.

Risperdal Investigation

The nationwide law firm of Bernstein Liebhard LLP is currently representing plaintiffs who allegedly developed gynecomastia due to their use of Risperdal. If you are considering filing a similar Risperdal lawsuit, please contact our office at (888) 994-5118 to obtain a free, no-obligation review of your case.

Risperdal Litigation Update

• December 2015: A third Risperdal plaintiff wins at trial in Pennsylvania, after the jury hearing his gynecomastia case awards him $500,000 in compensatory damages. He had taken Risperdal off-label for three years starting at age 11 to treat symptoms associated with Tourette’s syndrome. Read More
• November 2015: It took just 3 1/2 hours of deliberations for a Pennsylvania jury to award nearly $1.8 million to an autistic man who experienced excessive breast growth after being prescribed Risperdal as a child. More than 1,600 Risperdal lawsuits are now pending in the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas, where cases involving alleged Risperdal side effects have been centralized. Testimony continues in  another gynecomastia trial that began in the litigation in October.  Read More
• May 2015: An undisclosed settlement is reached in the Risperdal lawsuit chosen for Pennsylvania’s third gynecomastia trial. The parties agreed to resolve the case just hours before opening argument were to begin. Read More
• March 2015: The Pennsylvania jury empaneled in the state’s second bellwether trial of a Risperdal gynecomastia lawsuit ruled that Janssen Pharmaceuticals had failed to adequately warn patients that the medication could cause boys to experience excessive breast growth. But it opted not to award the plaintiff any damages, after finding that the breast development he experienced was not linked to his use of the powerful antipsychotic medication. Read More
• February 2015: The first Risperdal gynecomastia trial gets underway in Pennsylvania. The plaintiff, an autistic man who was prescribed the medication as a child, is ultimately awarded $2.5 million by the jury hearing the case. Read More
• September 2012: Johnson & Johnson reaches the first Risperdal gynecomastia settlement in the Pennsylvania litigation. The plaintiff, who took Risperdal between the ages of 9 and 14, had to undergo surgery to remove excess breast tissue. The case was resolved on the day it was scheduled to go to trial.

What is Risperdal?

Risperdal (risperidone) is an atypical antipsychotic currently approved to treat adult and adolescent schizophrenia, bipolar disorder in adults and children ages 10-to-17, and irritability in children (5-to-16 years of age) with autistic disorder. The drug was brought to market by Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen Pharmaceuticals unit in the 1990s, but its current pediatric indications were not approved until 2006.

What is Gynecomastia?

Gynecomastia occurs when a man or boy develops female-like breasts. Symptoms of the condition include:

• Swollen breast tissue
• Pain
• Tenderness
• Discharge from one or both breasts

Some Risperdal gynecomastia plaintiffs are alleged to have developed breasts as large as a 44 DD cup. Many have undergone liposuction and even mastectomy to remove excess breast tissue.

Risperdal and Gynecomastia

In recent years, a number of studies have suggested that Risperdal may be associated with the development of gynecomastia in men and boys.

• 1999: A paper in the journal Psychopharmacology discussed the case of a patient who developed gynecomastia while taking 0.5mg of risperidone in conjunction with fluoxetine (an antidepressant sold under the brand name Paxil). The study was one of the first to link Risperdal to male breast growth.
• 2006: A study published in the Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychopharmacology reported that teens treated with Risperdal experienced “persistent elevated levels of prolactin,” a hormone related to female breast development and lactation.
• 2009: Research that appeared in the Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology  reported that: “Risperidone administered to adolescents at doses commonly used for the treatment of psychotic symptoms can strongly increase prolactin levels, with clinical consequences such as gynecomastia and/or galactorrhea.”

Should I File a Risperdal Lawsuit?

Filing a Risperdal lawsuit may enable individuals who allegedly suffered gynecomastia related to it use to obtain compensation for medical bills, lost wages, and other damages. If you would like to learn more, please call (888) 994-5118 to discuss your case with a member of our legal staff.