Jury Orders J&J to Pay $1.75M in Risperdal Case, Parker Waichman LLP Comments

Johnson & Johnson has been hit with a $1.75 million verdict in a case alleging the antipsychotic drug, Risperdal, caused gynecomastia. This is the fourth case to reach trial over allegations that J&J failed to warn about Risperdal abnormal breast growth risks.

Port Washington, USA – November 12, 2015 /PressCable/ —

Parker Waichman LLP, a national law firm dedicated to protecting the rights of victims injured by defective drugs and medical devices, is commenting on litigation involving Risperdal, an antipsychotic medication marketed by Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen unit. According to court documents, a Philadelphia jury handed down a $1.75 million verdict against J&J in a case alleging that the company failed to warn about the risk of gynecomastia, abnormal breast growth in boys, when taking Risperdal. The case against Janssen Pharmaceuticals Inc. was pending in the Court of Common Pleas of Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, under case number 130401990.

Court records reveal that this the fourth case to go to trial over allegations that J&J failed to warn about the risks of gynecomastia associated with Risperdal. The lawsuit was filed on behalf of a Maryland boy with autism who was prescribed the antipsychotic drug in 2003. The boy was nine years old when he began taking Risperdal, the lawsuits states. At the time, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had only approved the drug to treat schizophrenia in adult patients. The warning label cited gynecomastia as being a rare side effect occurring in fewer than one in 1,000 patients, court documents state. The FDA approved Risperdal to treat symptoms associated with autism in 2006. The plaintiff stopped taking the drug two years later. In the meantime, the warning label on Risperdal was revised to show that gynecomastia was a common side effect occurring in 2.3 percent of children. According to the lawsuit, however, internal studies by J&J revealed that the incidence of gynecomastia was as high as 12.5 percent.

Parker Waichman comments that drug makers have a responsibility to warn about the risk of side effects. “There have been a number of lawsuits alleging that J&J failed to warn about the risk of gynecomastia with Risperdal, and oftentimes the early trials are indicative of future litigation,” said Matthew J. McCauley, Senior Litigation Counsel at the firm. “The jury sent J&J a powerful message by handing down their verdict.”

Parker Waichman LLP continues to offer free lawsuit consultations to victims of Risperdal side effects. If you or someone you know took Risperdal and suffer from Gynecomastia, please visit the firm’s Risperdal Side Effects page at yourlawyer.com. Free case evaluations are also available by calling 1-800-LAW-INFO (1-800-529-4636).

For more information about us, please visit http://www.yourlawyer.com/long-island

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Name: Parker Waichman
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Phone: 516-466-6500

Release ID: 96557