According to a recent online article by The Daily Hornet, the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas has been inundated with Risperdal gynecomastia lawsuits since the beginning of the year.

From January to July 2017, 3,600 new cases have been filed again Johnson & Johnson, the pharmaceutical giant, developer and manufacturer of Risperdal, a drug used to treat schizophrenia and bipolar disorders not related to dementia.

The influx of new Risperdal gynecomastia lawsuits came after juries started to demand that Johnson and Johnson pay for some of the damage attributed to Risperdal by compensating victims and their families.

Gynecomastia is an abnormal development of breast tissue, like that of a female, that occurs in 4.5% of pre-adolescent boys taking the medication. The side effect is believed to be related to the drug’s tendency to increase the body’s production of prolactin, a hormone that initiates breast growth and milk production.

Accusations in Risperdal Gynecomastia Lawsuits

The Risperdal gynecomastia lawsuits, which have increased some 185% since the beginning of 2017, all accuse Johnson and Johnson of marketing the medication for “off-label” uses in children – meaning using the drug for conditions other than for what it was approved.

Janssen Pharmaceuticals, a subsidiary of Johnson and Johnson, paid $2.2 billion to end a Department of Justice prosecution based on allegations that they illegally marketed Risperdal for use in children from 1999 to 2005.

Up through 2006, Risperdal was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use to control symptoms of schizophrenia in adults only.

During this earlier period, the side effect of gynecomastia was allegedly greatly minimized by Johnson and Johnson to increase sales. One of the alleged victims was Andrew Y. a boy treated with Risperdal for his attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and oppositional defiant disorder (ODD).

After a year of treatment, Andrew Y. grew breasts. The family was given the highest jury award for Risperdal gynecomastia lawsuits that have gone to trial.

Next in line in terms of amount in Risperdal gynecomastia lawsuits that have been tried is a $2.5 million award that went to the family of a boy in Alabama. This boy, being treated for irritability associated with autism by Risperdal, allegedly grew outlandish breast tissue amounting to what would be a bra size 46DD. The tissue had to be removed surgically.

Throughout 2017 and the first quarter of 2018, ten trials of Risperdal gynecomastia lawsuits are scheduled. The Risperdal mass tort is huge and at this rate, it would take a very, very long time to hear each case. Lawyers in most of these cases are more likely to negotiate settlements, which will be easier for the parties to agree on after a few trials show them how their evidence and arguments tend to play out in front of a jury.

In quite a few cases, Johnson and Johnson has agreed to settle for undisclosed amounts prior to trial. Most recently, in November 2016, the family of a boy treated with Risperdal for Asperger’s syndrome, ODD, and impulse control disorder filed a lawsuit against the drug company and the case was settled without the release of information about amount before it went to court.