More than 250 Risperdal lawsuits have been suspended after a Pennsylvania state judge ruled that the statute of limitations should be upheld in the multidistrict litigation.

Judge Arnold New ordered the stay after listening to arguments brought forth by plaintiff Joshua W., who claims he developed Risperdal breast tissue growth in 1997 while taking the atypical antipsychotic medication for anger management.

Judge New issued an opinion that Winter should have made the connection between Risperdal and male breast growtha lot sooner than 2014, when he filed the Risperdal lawsuit against manufacturers Johnson & Johnson and Janssen Pharmaceuticals.

Winter claims he developed gynecomastia (man boobs) after taking Risperdal; he further alleges that at that time he was taking the medication, the drug label did not feature a Risperdal gynecomastia warning. 

Risperdal began warning consumers about male breast growth starting in October 2006. According to Judge New, patients taking Risperdal should have known about the connection by June 2009.

In his opinion, the judge states:

“the combination of medical journal articles, print media articles, television media exposure, and lawyer advertising created an environment such that any Risperdal user who exercised even a modicum of diligence should have discovered the link between Risperdal and gynecomastia.”

Judge New ordered a stay in 257 Risperdal lawsuits that were filed after the October 2006 label change. The cases will remain suspended until the state’s Superior Court considers the judge’s conclusion.

If the court does not agree with the statue of limitations, then the list of Risperdal lawsuits will be restored to active status.

Risperdal Man Boobs

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Risperdal to treat conditions including schizophrenia, mania, and bipolar disorder in 1993. By 2006, the FDA approved the medication for pediatric use, but at that time the extent of Risperdal side effects were unknown.

Research indicates that Risperdal may increase the levels of prolactin, which stimulates breast growth in women, placing young men between the ages of 10-18 at a greater risk for developing gynecomastia.

Other Risperdal complications include weight gain, which sometimes leads young men to mistake male breast growth for excess fat build-up. However, those who have filed Risperdal lawsuits claim that the man boobs do not go away after discontinuing the medication. Some plaintiffs even allege that they had to undergo surgery in order to remove Risperdal male breast growth.

Male Risperdal consumers claim experiencing several Risperdal side effects including: breast pain, nipple pain, nipple discharge and milk production.

Risperdal Gynecomastia Lawsuits

Near 1,500 Risperdal lawsuits are currently awaiting trial in Philadelphia court, similarly alleging the anti-psychotic medication caused male breast growth measuring as large as a 46DD cup size.

Two lawsuits have gone to trial so far. The first one resulted in a $2.5 million verdict against Janssen Pharmaceuticals. The jury for the second case found Johnson & Johnson failed to warn about gynecomastia risks, but rejected claims that Risperdal caused the plaintiff’s condition.

A third Risperdal trial is expected to take place next month.

The Risperdal Lawsuit MDL is In re: Risperdal Litigation, Case No. 100300296, in the Court of Common Pleas of Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania.