Risperdal, a popular drug used to treat schizophrenia and other disorders, is under scrutiny for connections to serious and devastating side effects that are particularly notable for young boys who often take this drug.

Some families who decided to seek legal recourse for their sons’ side effects have secured a sizable Risperdal jury award.

What is Risperdal?

Risperdal is an atypical antipsychotic medication It was originally approved to treat schizophrenia but has since been approved to treat bipolar disorders and autism spectrum disorders in adults and adolescents. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration first approved Risperdal in 1993.

It works by targeting both the dopamine and serotonin levels in the brain. When the liver breaks down Risperdal, active chemical ingredients called metabolites are created. These metabolites block both serotonin and dopamine which decreases psychotic behavior by creating more of a balance in the brain.

Risperdal Jury Award

Recently, a Pennsylvania state judge denied a request by Risperdal manufacturer Janssen Pharmaceuticals, asking for a new trial in a current Risperdal case. Janssen, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson, was seeking to overturn the Risperdal jury award promised to Austin.

In this particular case, a young plaintiff, Austin P. took Risperdal beginning in 2002 to help with behavioral problems associated with autism. Austin was only seven years old at the time he began taking Risperdal. When Austin began taking Risperdal, it was FDA-approved only for use in adults and not children. It wasn’t until four years later that the drug began to be approved for use in young people for aggressions associated with autism.

Many young men who began taking Risperdal, like Austin, began to suffer from a devastating side effect. Gynecomastia has been associated with Risperdal use, especially in young and adolescent boys.

Gynecomastia is essentially unnatural male breast growth. The condition is actually characterized by actual glandular growth and is not simply fat accumulation. In Risperdal users, gynecomastia is thought to be caused by an increased production of the hormone, prolactin, produced by the pituitary gland.

Prolactin, while present in both men and women, is more prevalent in women. It is responsible for breast growth in women and is also responsible for lactation during pregnancy and breastfeeding.

At the time of Austin’s initial prescription of Risperdal, gynecomastia among Risperdal users was thought to be rare. However, four years later, when it was approved for use with young people, the drug manufacturers updated the label to include data that Risperdal used carried an increased risk of male breast growth.

Austin’s family sought out a Risperdal jury award because he began growing large breasts over the course of taking the drug for five years. Many problems plagued this case, including the withdrawal of key witnesses and questions about the validity of state licensure of certain attorneys. After a month long trial in February 2015, a sizable Risperdal jury award was granted to Austin and his family for $2.5 million.

Janssen has appealed this Risperdal jury award and has said, “We continue to believe this verdict should be overturned, and we are appealing. Contrary to the impression the plaintiffs’ attorneys have attempted to create over the course of this litigation, Risperdal is an important FDA-approved medicine that, when used as part of a comprehensive treatment plan, continues to help millions of patients with mental illnesses and neurodevelopmental conditions.”