Joanna Szabo  |  January 18, 2017

Category: Legal News

Top Class Actions’s website and social media posts use affiliate links. If you make a purchase using such links, we may receive a commission, but it will not result in any additional charges to you. Please review our Affiliate Link Disclosure for more information.

Risperdal gynecomastia male breast growthA growing number of men are getting ready to file a Risperdal lawsuit against Johnson & Johnson over the drug’s side effect gynecomastia—otherwise known as male breast growth.

Risperdal Basics

Risperdal (risperidone) is an atypical antipsychotic medication sold by Janssen, a subsidiary of pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson.

Risperdal was first approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 1993. It’s now approved to treat a variety of mental and mood disorders, including schizophrenia, bipolar mania, and autism.

Occasionally, the drug is used for off-label treatment of other disorders, including ADHD, sleep disorders, anxiety disorders, and depression.

Atypical antipsychotics like Risperdal work by helping to restore the balance of certain natural substances in the brain.

Unfortunately, Risperdal has been linked to several serious side effects, including the development of abnormally large breasts in boys and young men.

This condition is known as Risperdal gynecomastia, and the males who suffer from it gain enough excess glandular tissue to create breasts similar to female breasts.

In some cases, breast development due to gynecomastia can reach the size of a “D” cup. Some men have been forced to undergo surgery for excess tissue removal.

Filing a Risperdal Lawsuit

Now, boys and young men who began taking Risperdal years ago to treat a variety of disorders are coming forward, some choosing to file a Risperdal lawsuit over their pain and suffering.

One such young man is Eddie B. Eddie was just 13 years old when he first developed gynecomastia after taking Risperdal. Eddie is now an adult, and alleges that he was not warned about the breast growth side effects of Risperdal when he began taking it.

“They put me on this Risperdal. The doctors said, ‘Well, Risperdal was helping some.’ To me, it didn’t really help, because a year and a half later, I had gynecomastia,” Eddie said.

While gynecomastia does not cause the same kind of physical pain and suffering that are typically associated with extreme side effects, it caused substantial emotional trauma and humiliation. “I feel like an experiment,” Eddie said.

Eddie is one of thousands of young men gearing up to file a Risperdal lawsuit against Janssen for failing to adequately disclose gynecomastia side effects back when it could have made a difference.

While Risperdal’s labeling now warns of gynecomastia side effects, Eddie and many others took the drug back in the early 2000s and were not warned about the possibility of gynecomastia. Gynecomastia didn’t appear on the Risperdal warning label until 2006.

Had he been aware of this particular side effect, Eddie claims, he would have chosen a safer alternative than taking Risperdal. Eddie was taking the medication to treat bipolar disorder, but notes that the psychological effects of gynecomastia and the way people treated him because of it was worse than his bipolar disorder itself.

Some plaintiffs allege that Johnson & Johnson and Janssen Pharmaceuticals actively hid evidence linking Risperdal with an increased risk of gynecomastia.

If you or someone you know was negatively impacted by Risperdal, or you are a male who has developed excessive breast tissue due to taking Risperdal, you may be able to file a Risperdal lawsuit alleging failure to adequately warn about the potential side effects of the drug.

Do YOU have a legal claim? Fill out the form on this page now for a free, immediate, and confidential case evaluation. The Risperdal attorneys who work with Top Class Actions will contact you if you qualify to let you know if an individual lawsuit or Risperdal class action lawsuit is best for you. [In general, Risperdal lawsuits are filed individually by each plaintiff and are not class actions.] Hurry — statutes of limitations may apply.

Learn More

We tell you about cash you can claim EVERY WEEK! Sign up for our free newsletter.


Get Help – It’s Free

Join a Free Invega or Risperdal Class Action Lawsuit Investigation

If you or your son took Invega or Risperdal between the ages of 10 and 18 years old and suffered gynecomastia (male breast growth), male breast pain, nipple pain, or nipple discharge, you may be entitled to compensation. See if you qualify by submitting your information below for a free and confidential case review.

An attorney will contact you if you qualify to discuss the details of your potential case at no charge to you.

Please Note: If you want to participate in this investigation, it is imperative that you reply to the law firm if they call or email you. Failing to do so may result in you not getting signed up as a client, if you qualify, or getting you dropped as a client.

Oops! We could not locate your form.

Please note: Top Class Actions is not a settlement administrator or law firm. Top Class Actions is a legal news source that reports on class action lawsuits, class action settlements, drug injury lawsuits and product liability lawsuits. Top Class Actions does not process claims and we cannot advise you on the status of any class action settlement claim. You must contact the settlement administrator or your attorney for any updates regarding your claim status, claim form or questions about when payments are expected to be mailed out.