Johnson & Johnson’s subsidiary Janssen Pharmaceuticals was ordered to pay a multi-million dollar penalty following allegations that the company hid information regarding Risperdal side effects.

The Supreme Court of South Carolina stated that the drug manufacturer would pay $124 million in a Risperdal lawsuit for failing to adequately warn against Risperdal side effects and for claiming that their drug was safe to use when in fact they allegedly knew that it could cause multiple adverse side effects.

The $124 million penalty was originally going to be significantly larger. In 2011, Janssen Pharmaceuticals was originally going to pay $327 millions. 

The drug maker claimed that their actions were not intended to hurt Risperdal users and that no one was harmed by this Risperdal side effect.

The antipsychotic drug allegedly increases a patient’s risk of developing type-2 diabetes. Janssen Pharmaceuticals was said to have hid this information from the public and medical community.

Originally, the penalty was supposed to be $300 for every sample box distributed and $4,000 for every “Dear Doctor” letter published that failed to warn against Risperdal side effects.

The court ultimately decided to hear Janssen’s argument and lower the penalty.

Risperdal Lawsuits

In addition to Risperdal’s alleged diabetes side effects, many users have claimed that the drug caused them to suffer from gynecomastia or male breast growth. Already, over 1,000 lawsuits have been filed claiming that Janssen Pharmaceuticals failed to warn against male breast growth side effect.

Gynecomastia is an embarrassing condition that occurs when a man’s prolactin levels are increased. Prolactin is the same hormone that causes women to develop breasts. While not fatal, gynecomastia can lead to painful back problems, nipple/breast pain, and more.

Some men have had to undergo breast reduction surgery to correct the problem. One Risperdal lawsuit involved a plaintiff with 46DD breasts.

Risperdal side effects have caused patients to suffer from mental stress as well. Risperdal can be prescribed to children who suffer from autism and bipolar disorder. It has been suggested that experiencing male breast growth in addition to the underlying condition has caused great distress in many patients.

Already, Janssen Pharmaceuticals has lost multiple Risperdal lawsuits which claimed that company failed to warn users against the risk of Risperdal gynecomastia. With the risk of gynecomastia compounded with the risk of diabetes, it may be likely that even more individuals will choose to file a Risperdal lawsuit for suffering from Risperdal side effects.

Risperdal side effects lawsuits may be able to help an individual pay for any medical expenses, loss of wages, physical and emotional pain and suffering, and more.