Johnson & Johnson is facing at least 18,000 Risperdal lawsuits making the company’s legal costs skyrocket. Even as the world’s largest healthcare company, Johnson & Johnson cannot escape the public scrutiny from Risperdal complications.

The company is currently facing legal action from 100,000 patients, including 18,500 Risperdal lawsuits filed by men who allegedly grew man boobs as an alleged result of taking the antipsychotic. The number of disclosed lawsuits by Johnson & Johnson reached to 104,700 by early 2017, with litigation expenses increasing to $817 million.

Overview of Risperdal Lawsuits

The Risperdal lawsuits allege the antipsychotic caused young male patients to develop gynecomastia, or male breast growth, soon after starting the medication.

Men who developed Risperdal gynecomastia allege the manufacturing company failed to warn them against potential drug side effects. At this point in time, only a small amount of Risperdal lawsuits have gone to trial or have settled, with some juries awarding major damages.

For example, last year a Philadelphia jury awarded $70 million to a family of a boy who allegedly developed Risperdal gynecomastia at the mere age of five. According to the lawsuit, the judgment award was about 30 times greater than the $2.5 million award that an Alabama man received in 2015.

The Alabama man filed his own claim against Johnson & Johnson after reportedly growing man boobs as large as 46DD. Lawyers for the plaintiffs side argued that Johnson & Johnson either knew or should have known that Risperdal could cause gynecomastia but failed to warn consumers.

Johnson & Johnson states that “Risperdal is an important FDA approved medicine.” The company says it is willing to “continue to defend this litigation” and will bring Risperdal lawsuits to trial when necessary.

Johnson & Johnson has stated that it plans to appeal the $70 million verdict, pointing out several previous victories in Risperdal lawsuits that went to trial or were dismissed.

Previously in 2013, Johnson & Johnson paid over $2.2 billion to resolve civil and criminal investigations conducted by the United States Department of Justice to resolve numerous marketing violations regarding Risperdal and other medications.

According to prosecutors, Johnson & Johnson illegally marketed Risperdal between 1999 and 2005.

When Risperdal was initially approved in 1993, it was meant to be used a treatment drug for adults with extreme mental disorders like schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.

Risperdal was later approved to treat children at least a year after Johnson & Johnson’s campaign.

While it is not illegal for doctors to prescribe medications for off label treatments, it is illegal for manufacturing companies to market drugs for such purposes.

Risperdal’s treatment mechanism, balancing dopamine and serotonin, allegedly caused numerous young male patients to develop gynecomastia.

Risperdal patients who were affected by the drug’s adverse effects may be able to file legal action against the manufacturing company. Potential claimants should contact a specialized lawyer to determine eligibility for a Risperdal lawsuit.