Johnson & Johnson and its pharmaceutical subsidiary Janssen Pharmaceuticals are facing more than 500 Risperdal lawsuits after many of their young, male Risperdal patients allegedly developed breasts. In May 2014, Janssen filed a motion to have these Risperdal lawsuits and similar court cases dismissed on the grounds of a statute of limitations.

Many Risperdal patients are boys ages 10 to 18 who were prescribed Risperdal to help manage various mental health conditions. An unwanted side effect of continued consumption of Risperdal was the unnatural growth of breasts in these young males, which has caused severe psychological damage and, in some cases, necessitated surgery to remove the breast tissue.

Janssen is allegedly refusing to take responsibility and is attempting to avoid legal recourse by having hundreds of Risperdal lawsuits dismissed based on when the lawsuit was filed. In many states, the statute of limitations on Risperdal lawsuits and similar cases “require that any lawsuit be filed within two or three years after the plaintiff knew or reasonably could have discovered the cause of action.”

Additionally, Janssen’s legal team argues that any and all Risperdal patients would have been aware of the risk of Risperdal gynecomastia, or male breast development, because of the labeling changes made to the Risperdal packaging as of Oct. 31, 2006.

By using these legal maneuvers, Janssen hopes to dismiss most if not all Risperdal lawsuits. However, legal representatives of the hundreds of boys who have been Risperdal gynecomastia victims argue that the warning labels are not that clear.

“The warning labels continue to be inadequate and never provided accurate and complete information about the risk. Plaintiffs maintain that if they had been adequately warned, they may have avoided the serious physical and psychological injury from breast growth on Risperdal by avoiding the medication or carefully monitoring for early signs of breast development,” they claim.

Several Risperdal class action lawsuits have already been settled and the plaintiffs have been awarded damages for the physical, mental, and emotional damage sustained as a result of Risperdal male breast growth. There are still several hundred cases ready to be litigated.

What is Risperdal?

Risperidone, more commonly known by its brand name Risperdal, is an atypical antipsychotic medication used to treat and manage various mental health disorders including schizophrenia, bipolar mania, and occasionally autistic disorder. Risperdal was first introduced to the medical community in 1993 and has been used by thousands of individuals suffering from mental disorders since its inception.

History of Risperdal Litigation

The slew of Risperdal gynecomastia class action lawsuits are not the first legal cases brought against Johnson & Johnson or its subsidiary Janssen Pharmaceuticals. Since 2011, Johnson & Johnson has paid millions of dollars in legal fees and reparations for lawsuits concerning allegations of deceptive marketing and labeling of their Risperdal drug.

On November 4, 2013, Janssen Pharmaceuticals pleaded guilty for misbranding and filing false claims for Risperdal. As a result, the FDA mandated that Johnson & Johnson and its subsidiary pay over $1.6 billion in legal settlements.

Despite these past Risperdal lawsuits and warnings from the FDA, Johnson & Johnson are reportedly attempting to avoid responsibility to their consumers and the hundreds of young men who have had unwanted side effects from their use of Risperdal.