A recent Risperdal jury verdict out of New York State has ended in a $1 million award to a 24-year-old man who developed female-like breasts as a young boy after using the popular antipsychotic medication.

The jury ruled in favor of plaintiff Shaquil B., requiring the manufacturers of the drug, Johnson & Johnson and subsidiary Janssen Pharmaceuticals, to compensate him for his personal injury.

Shaquil was prescribed Risperdal at the age of 9 in order to treat his mood disorders. Risperdal is an antipsychotic medication that is used to treat severe psychological conditions including schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, mood disorder and treats certain symptoms related to autism.

Risperdal appears to influence the body’s production of a hormone called prolactin. Both males and females normally have this hormone circulating in their body, but the levels for males are much lower compared to those of females. Young women going through puberty and pregnant and lactating women have the highest levels of prolactin, as this hormone stimulates the growth of breast tissue and milk production.

According to his lawsuit, Shaquil started developing female-like breasts, a medical condition referred to as gynecomastia, shortly after he began taking the drug. He also says he began lactating by the age of 10 as a result of using the drug.

In fact, thousands of lawsuits have been filed against the makers of Risperdal by men and the families of young males alleging that the drug makers failed to appropriately warn of the side effect of gynecomastia that has been known to be associated with the drug for quite some time. These lawsuits allege that up to 5% of male children who take the drug and up with gynecomastia, according to the manufacturers’ own studies.

As can be imagined, Shaquil’s peers at school teased him for his female-like breasts and even grabbed his chest as they made fun of him, causing him severe emotional distress and mental anguish. Stopping the drug does not reverse the condition, and many young men are forced to undergo surgery with liposuction or mastectomy to remove the breast tissue that has grown following the use of Risperdal.

Other Risperdal Jury Verdict Outcomes

A number of Risperdal jury verdict outcomes have been determined following jury trials over the last several years. A recent Risperdal jury verdict in the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas ended in a $2.5 million award for the plaintiff.

Another recent Risperdal jury verdict out of Philadelphia Superior Court ended in a $1.75 million award for the plaintiff, however, his award may be capped based on the state laws of two different states.

A Risperdal jury verdict for a massive dollar amount  from last fall ended in a $70 million award for the plaintiff, making it the largest award for any Risperdal lawsuit to date. Prior to the $70 million verdict, the $2.5 million verdict was the largest reached in a jury trial.

The $70 million Risperdal jury verdict was so much larger than previous verdicts because punitive damages were allowed to be included in the calculation of the award. Thousands more lawsuits are pending, and as they slowly go to trial one by one, plaintiffs in the pending lawsuits will be eagerly awaiting the outcome of the trials.