According to the first quarter filings of the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas’ mass tort program, the number of Risperdal lawsuits filed this year are significantly greater than the previous year. Additionally, experts predict that 2015 will see just as many lawsuits, if not more.

Compiled in April 2015, the court’s most recent quarterly statistics indicate that 406 new Risperdal lawsuits were filed; this number is at least 29 percent greater than last year’s first-quarter. Last year’s first quarter was 314 new suits filed at the end of April 2014; that year closed with a total of 2,095 lawsuits filed. Even though the mass tort program noticed the turned of lawsuits decreasing, the closing total of 2014 had shown a 158 percent increase over 2013, which only had 813 new lawsuits filed.

Filings in 2013 had lowered about .04 percent, by three cases, from the 816 lawsuits that were filed in 2012. But the number of lawsuits filed in 2012 dropped by 70 percent from 2011, which had been the peak year for the mass tort program, since 2,960 new lawsuits had been filed that year alone.

So far, the break down for 2015 shows that 85 percent of the new lawsuits are related to pharmaceutical litigation, including Risperdal. In fact, according to the court statistics, a significant portion of these court statistics consist of Riperdal and Xarelto lawsuits; both drugs are manufactured by the Johnson & Johnson subsidiary, Janssen Pharmaceuticals.

For the Risperdal lawsuits, 197 claims were filed in the mass tort system since April 2015, making it the second most prominent subject in the Philadelphia court. Additionally, the court has been actively trying to process several Risperdal lawsuits this year, in the prediction that more will be filed. Each of the Risperdal lawsuits involve allegations of gynecomastia, or male breast growth, from families filing on behalf of young boys who suffered unnatural male breast growth after taking Risperdal.

After several successful Risperdal lawsuits, spectating attorneys predict that Janssen Pharmaceuticals will most likely settle future Risperdal cases to prevent the further costs of individual lawsuits.

Overview of Risperdal Gynecomastia Complications

Risperdal was originally approved in 1993 as a treatment option for adult patients with extreme mental disorders like schizophrenia and bipolar disorders. However, according to experts, Janssen Pharmaceuticals reportedly made most of their Risperdal sales from off-label purposes, primarily through pediatric prescriptions. Risperdal was not approved to treat children until 2006, despite Janssen Pharmaceuticals actively advertising to this unapproved market.

While it is not illegal for doctors to prescribe medications for off-label purposes, it is when pharmaceutical companies advertise them for such purposes. At the time Risperdal was approved, the effects on adolescents were widely unknown and remained that way even when it was approved to treat children. In combination with insufficient warning labels, the numerous cases of Risperdal gynecomastia developed.

Gynecomastia is the abnormal growth of male breasts, typically due to an extreme hormonal imbalance. Risperdal is a powerful antipsychotic drug that works by managing a single brain chemical, dopamine, which runs the brain’s pleasure and reward sensors. By inhibiting this chemical from overcapacity, Risperdal allows for a well-balanced mental state. However, it is this treatment mechanism that experts believe is inducing gynecomastia. Interestingly enough, dopamine manufacturing is conducted at the same sight as prolactin, the hormone responsible for breast development in adolescent girls. Risperdal is a natural prolactin increaser, so combined with the fact that it is prescribed to young patients at a crucial stage of development, male breast growth could almost be expected.

By interfering with the natural production of prolactin, experts believe that Risperdal unintentionally causes an extreme hormone imbalance that results in gynecomastia. Oftentimes, the excess tissue has to be surgically removed and leaves the victims with severe mental anguish.