A California jury delivered a $5.6 million verdict against Janssen Pharmaceuticals, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson, in a Risperdal wrongful death lawsuit.

The victim was a participant in a Janssen clinical study of the anti-psychotic drug Risperdal, and according to the claim, the company ignored his heart abnormalities during the trial.

Plaintiff Marion L, mother of Leo L., claimed that her son, age 25 at the time, enrolled in a drug trial with Janssen.  The trial was conducted to test the efficacy of Risperdal, which had been developed to treat schizophrenia, a condition Leo suffered from.

Marion claimed in the Risperdal lawsuit that her son died during the trial, saying that Janssen’s employees who ran the trial ignored Leo’s heart condition, gave him the drug, then ignored subsequent medical distress after the administration of the medication.

The jury decided that Janssen was 70 percent responsible for Leo’s death, and that the company should pay $5.4 million for the company’s negligence leading to Leo’s death. The remaining 30 percent liability of Leo’s death was assigned to his psychiatrist, who convinced the young man to take part in the Risperdal drug trial.

According to the lawsuit, Janssen’s employees failed to follow pre-screening protocols to determine pre-existing conditions. In their alleged failure to detect prior conditions, they missed Leo’s high blood pressure, liver tests and other symptoms that pointed to heart disease. They also allegedly neglected to test Leo for drug and alcohol use, despite his psychiatrist knowing he had a history of use.

Leo died on February 26, 2009, not long after beginning the drug trial. He was transferred from the study facility to a local hospital to investigate abnormal liver function test results. According to his autopsy, Leo died from dilated cardiomyopathy, a condition that was deemed “readily treatable” and that could have been “further complicated” by Risperdal, according to the lawsuit.

Risperdal Side Effects

Risperdal is an anti-psychotic drug not only used to treat schizophrenia and other disorders involving psychosis, it is also used to address dementia in older adults and autism and bipolar disorder in children.

One of the most controversial side effects of Risperdal is gynecomastia. Gynecomastia, or male breast growth, is a condition that can not only be painful, but can affect males psychologically as well. When boys and men are ridiculed by having their Risperdal breast tissue growth referred to as “man boobs,” it can be emotionally devastating.

Other breast-related side effects seen with Risperdal use are nipple pain, nipple discharge, and painful breasts.

Janssen and Johnson & Johnson were allegedly aware of Risperdal gynecomastia throughout their study of the drug. Janssen was recently accused of hiding data from a 2003 study that showed an increased level of prolactin, a hormone that stimulates breast development, in patients taking Risperdal.

Risperdal Lawsuit Information

If you or a loved one have suffered from Risperdal side effects, you may be entitled to legal compensation. A free consultation with one of our attorneys can help you determine your legal options.