About Risperdal
About Risperdal
Hundreds of plaintiffs who filed a Risperdal lawsuit received good news several months ago when Johnson & Johnson was ordered to pay more than $2.2 billion for illegally marketing their antipsychotic drug for off-label use. The FDA first approved Johnson & Johnson’s Risperdal for the treatment of schizophrenia in 1993. A decade later, the FDA approved the drug for the treatment of bipolar disorder. In 2006, autism-related irritability was added to the conditions treated with Risperdal.
However, the U.S. Department of Justice says that Risperdal had been prescribed to elderly patients and adolescents before gaining FDA approval. By 2005, it had become the most popular antipsychotic drug — prescribed to over a million patients.
The product liability lawyers at The Sanders Firm are here to help victims of male breast growth tied to Risperidone and those who suffered other serious side effects of J&J’s controversial drug.
Don’t Pay Unless You Win
Seeking damages in a Risperdal lawsuit
Boasting a highly-credentialed team of personal injury attorneys, The Sanders Firm offers more than 45 years of trial experience. We have gone up against major pharmaceutical companies like Merck and pursue justice for those injured by reckless, profit-seeking corporations that negligently fail to warn consumers of risks and side effects associated with their products. Over the years, we have won over $100 million in settlements and successful jury awards for our clients.
Recent Risperdal litigation & settlements
According to Bloomberg News, more than 420 Risperdal lawsuits have been filed against Johnson & Johnson alleging injuries. Of those, at least 130 cases are related to gynecomastia. “The billions J&J made had a terrible human cost,” said a lawyer working on the case. “The drug caused female breasts to grow on little boys around the country. Their childhoods were stolen, but billions were made.”
The first Risperdal gynecomastia lawsuit went to trial in September 2012. The 21-year-old plaintiff said he began taking the drug when he was just nine years old and continued taking it for several years. His lawyers noted that Risperdal was not FDA-approved for use in adolescents at the time. The boy said he suffered “psychological trauma” after growing breasts.
Forbes reports that Johnson & Johnson settled for an undisclosed sum on the first day of trial proceedings, without much fight or comment – other than to say that “Risperdal has and continues to improve the lives of countless people throughout the world who suffer from debilitating mental illnesses.”
That same year, three more bellwether cases were settled for undisclosed amounts when former FDA chief Dr. David Kessler M.D. agreed to testify as a medical expert in the mass tort filed in the Philadelphia Common Pleas Court. “The promotion of non-approved uses in the most vulnerable children of powerful drugs is most concerning,” he wrote in a 92-page report.
Risperdal side effects
Like most antipsychotic drugs, the risk of serious side effects from Risperdal should always be weighed against the intended benefits. Common complaints include:
- Weight gain: In 2011, an FDA advisory panel recommended monitoring Risperdal side effects after a study published in the Archives of General Psychiatry found that patients gained 11 to 13 pounds in less than two months after taking antipsychotics. According to the NY Times, a three-year-old boy taking the drug reached 49 pounds – nearly 20 pounds overweight for a child that age. Along with obesity, come the risks of high cholesterol, heart disease and diabetes. A University of Massachusetts study found that kids on antipsychotic drugs were four times more likely to develop diabetes. In 2004, Risperdal packaging was updated to include the risk of diabetes for all patients.
- Gynecomastia: Male breast growth is one of the most life-altering side effects associated with Risperdal. In addition to experiencing abnormal tissue growth, other symptoms include inflamed and enlarged nipples, pain and discharge. In some instances, boys have developed breasts up to a 38D cup in size. A 2012 study published in the Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry concluded that risperidone-using males ages 10-20 were 72 times more likely to have elevated prolactin levels than those who were not taking the drug.
- Stroke: At least 31 children have died and more than 1,200 children suffered serious health problems after taking Risperdal. Cardiac arrest and stroke were the most common causes of death. A 2003 study published in the British Medical Journal found that antipsychotics cause a higher risk of stroke in all patients. A 2013 study linked risperidone to strokes in patients over the age of 64.
- Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome: There have been at least 14 reported cases of Risperdal patients experiencing a fatal syndrome marked by muscle rigidity, fever, altered consciousness, irregular pulse, and blood pressure fluctuations.
Other less serious side effects include: tremors, dizziness, sedation, insomnia, restlessness, dry mouth, congestion, abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and fatigue.
Compensation available to victims
Big pharmaceutical cases can lead to compensation for victims that may cover:
- Past and future medical expenses
- Loss of income or productivity
- Emotional pain and suffering
- Punitive damages
To recover compensation, an attorney must prove that your specific injuries were associated with the use of the product and that the manufacturer was somehow negligent in promoting the prescription to your demographic without adequate warning of the risks involved.
One of our experienced product liability attorneys will assemble your medical records, conduct discovery, obtain medical expert witnesses, prepare paperwork and litigate your case – seeking the maximum damages for your injuries.
At The Sanders Law Firm, Success Is A Tradition
Founded in 1967, The Sanders Law Firm has flourished into one of New York’s most successful personal injury practices, with an accomplished team of attorneys, paralegals, health care consultants, and support staff. Our trial attorneys take new cases on a contingency basis, which means there is no cost to the client unless we secure monetary damages on your behalf.
Our personal injury law firm continues to make its industry-leading legal services even better, and hire attorneys and staff that enable us to serve a more diverse population.
At The Sanders Firm, there is never any charge to evaluate your case. We have helped thousands of injured clients throughout New York City, Long Island, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, and Staten Island, and we’re prepared to help you too. In just the last five years we have procured over $100 million dollars on behalf of our clients, thanks to our vast resources and experienced attorneys. Our personal injury law firm continues to make its industry-leading legal services even better, and hire attorneys and staff that enable us to serve a more diverse population.
To set up your free, no-obligation case review with a New York personal injury lawyer, please call (516) 591-3208 or contact us using our online form. Our friendly staff is standing by to take your call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
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The Sanders Law Firm is a New York personal injury practice with offices in Long Island, Manhattan, Queens, and Brooklyn.