Adverse effects of Risperdal can include breast enlargement in men, a condition known as gynecomastia.

Lawsuits filed against the antipsychotic drug’s maker Johnson & Johnson and its subsidiary Janssen allege the company knew of the potential for breast enlargement in males. Fearful that if known, the possibility could hurt sales, the company allegedly kept the side effect a secret.

Young men on the drug who developed breasts over the years didn’t know the cause until recently.

Adverse Effects of Risperdal on Young Men and Boys

Boys in their early teens taking Risperdal can see breast development over the course of a year. Some young men say if they had known of the adverse effects of Risperdal, they would never have taken the drug. Young people already dealing with mental issues do not need the extra layer of anxiety that developing man boobs causes.

At least one young man claims that dealing with gynecomastia was more difficult psychologically than coping with his bipolar disorder.

In 2006, Johnson & Johnson added a warning that breast enlargement in men could be a side effect of Risperdal to the drug’s labels. At that point, the drug had been prescribed to boys for 10 years.

Johnson & Johnson has paid more than $2 billion in penalties and settlements over lawsuits regarding Risperdal and two other drugs. Among many civil and criminal allegations brought by the U.S. Department of Justice, Janssen was accused of marketing Risperdal for use in children and people with mental disabilities other than schizophrenia even though the company knew of the adverse effects of Risperdal.

Janssen is accused of telling doctors they would not receive speaking fees for speeches that Janssen arranged unless the doctors met a quota for writing Risperdal prescriptions. Janssen did not take the blame as a company, but blamed its sales representatives for going off script. The case settled with Janssen agreeing to pay a settlement plus fines.

Johnson & Johnson does not admit to inappropriately marketing Risperdal to children, saying Janssen “did not direct sales representatives to promote Risperdal for use in children or adolescents, and it did not approve sales materials aimed at treating children or adolescents.”

Despite denying the allegations, Johnson & Johnson was quick to settle a Pennsylvania case rather than go to trial over allegations brought by another young man who developed enlarged breasts after taking Risperdal from 1999 to 2004.

The boy started taking the drug at age nine, and Risperdal was not FDA-approved for children in the U.S. at the time. After finding out that Risperdal caused breast enlargement in men that could not be reduced by simply losing weight, the young man had the tissue surgically removed. He is now 21 years old.

If you have been affected by adverse effects of Risperdal, you could benefit by consulting a lawyer regarding your options for compensation for pain and suffering, surgical reimbursement costs and other expenses.