A Louisiana man has joined the litigation against Johnson & Johnson by filing his own Risperdal lawsuit. While his name has yet to be released, his claims of gynecomastia echo the hundreds of other Risperdal lawsuits from young men who allegedly developed male breasts after ingesting Risperdal.

The plaintiff has reported he was prescribed Risperdal to treat his mental condition, but developed gynecomastia, or male breast growth, soon after using Risperdal. According to the complaint, Risperdal and its alternative, Invega, had been presented by Johnson & Johnson to be safe and effective options to treat schizophrenia and bipolar disorders.

However, the plaintiff’s Risperdal lawyers claim that the antipsychotic drug was misrepresented and that the Risperdal side effects their client suffered were not stated on the product’s label. The defendant companies, Johnson & Johnson and its subsidiary Janssen Pharmaceuticals, are accused of violating federal regulations by not fully disclosing the possible adverse effects of Risperdal and Invega and for promoting these drugs for off-label purposes. While it is not illegal for doctors to prescribe drugs or other medical products for off-label purposes, it is illegal for manufacturing companies to advertise them for such reasons.

Risperdal was originally approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1993 to treat adults with extreme mental disorders but was later approved to treat children with attention deficit disorders in 2006. Physicians were under the impression that Risperdal was perfectly safe for pediatric use which has led to the numerous Risperdal lawsuits alleging that gynecomastia occurred in direct result of ingesting Risperdal.

As of now, Johnson & Johnson has paid billions of dollars in Risperdal settlements and fines for marketing violations made when advertising Risperdal and Invega off-label uses. In November 2013, Johnson & Johnson agreed to pay $2 billion in criminal and civil fines to settle false advertising accusations, penalties, and for paying physicians kickbacks for prescribing Risperdal.

There are currently hundreds of Risperdal gynecomastia lawsuits filed in the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas, where the defendants have already agreed to several Risperdal settlements.

Overview of Risperdal Complications

Medical experts have identified Risperdal and Invega as prolactin-increasing antipsychotics, which increase the prolactin production inside the body. Prolactin is the hormone that is primarily responsible for the breast development in young girls, but is naturally produced in young boys as well. Because many of the patients who are prescribed Risperal are of adolescent age, they are in a major developmental stage in their lives, which would make them more vulnerable to an increase of prolactin. Despite allegedly knowing this, Johnson & Johnson made no effort to inform prescribing physicians or their patients of this possibility.

Risperdal Lawsuits

Risperdal lawyers commonly argue that male breast development is a side effect of taking Risperdal, with breast development as large as D-cups in some cases, often requiring surgical intervention to remove the excess breast tissue. Additionally, they allege Risperdal male breast growth almost always causes psychological trauma and anguish, due to how unnatural the occurrence is for the male patients.

Due to the fact that many male patients were prescribed Risperdal under allegedly false pretenses, many patients have taken legal action against Johnson & Johnson and Janssen Pharmaceuticals. Many plaintiffs commonly allege that the drug manufacturers failed to protect them against the possibility of gynecomastia solely in the interest of protecting Risperdal’s marketing value.

This Risperdal lawsuit against Janssen Pharmaceuticals Inc., Johnson & Johnson, and Janssen Research and Development LLC, has been filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana (Shreveport Division). The plaintiff is seeking financial compensation for all past and future medical expenses, lost wages, mental anguish, anxiety, and other kinds of pain and suffering.