In a recent class action lawsuit victory, a Philadelphia jury awarded $2.5 million in damages to a young man who suffered Risperdal gynecomastia. After finding that the defendant’s antipsychotic drug had a part in causing the plaintiff to develop male breasts, the jury ordered Johnson & Johnson to pay.

This Risperdal gynecomastia trial lasted only a month with plaintiff Austin P., who had taken Risperdal when he was a boy in 2002, alleging that Johnson & Johnson had failed to adequately warn him against the possible Risperdal side effects.  Austin stated that Risperdal’s label provided no adequate warnings of gynecomastia, and that he was completely shocked when started to develop “man boobs.”

Despite ceasing the medication in 2006, Austin was left with abnormal male breast development, and was forced to contend with the unexpected and embarrassing situation. Austin stated that this experience had left him emotionally scarred, and he had to undergo surgery to remove the excess breast tissue.

The jury agreed with the allegations Austin brought against Johnson & Johnson and its subsidiary, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, rendering their decision after a day and a half of deliberations. The jury stated that the company failed to provide adequate safety information on Risperdal’s label and neglected to mention the possibility of male breast growth.

According to the evidence presented at the trial, Johnson & Johnson allegedly knew about the risks of Risperdal gynecomastia as early as 2001, but had chosen not disclose this to Austin, other Risperdal patients, and the medical community until 2006.

Johnson & Johnson’s representatives have stated that they may appeal the verdict and Risperdal lawyers are closely monitoring Risperdal litigation. This is the first bellwether trial to go to trial before a jury, which may help determine how other Risperdal juries may react to similar evidence that will be most likely be repeated throughout the Risperdal litigation movement. While this outcome will not impact other Risperdal lawsuits, it may influence any future negotiations made towards any Risperdal settlements.

Overview of Risperdal Complications

As of now, medical experts are unsure as to why exactly Risperdal may be causing this reaction but there is a hypothesis many scientists agree on. Clinical studies show that Risperdal is a natural prolactin enhancer, which is the hormone responsible for breast development in adolescent girls. However, given that adolescent boys naturally produce prolactin and that they are in a state of development, they may be prone to certain side effects like gynecomastia. Allegedly, gynecomastia is not adequately mentioned on Risperdal’s warning label, leading to the mass litigation movement.

Risperdal was first approved in 1993 to treat extreme mental disorders in adult patients and was later approved to treat children with ADHD or ADD in 2006. However, Johnson & Johnson allegedly used illegal marketing practices in selling Risperdal before it was approved to treat for pediatric use and promoted Risperdal to treat children to doctors, paying kickbacks to doctors for prescribing the drug, as well as mentioning Risperdal in a positive light in research studies. While it is not illegal for physicians to prescribe a medication for an off-label use, it is illegal for a manufacturing company to promote the drug for such purposes.

For the past several years, Johnson & Johnson has been dealing with Risperdal gynecomastia lawsuits, facing various product liability allegations. Austin’s lawsuit is one out of 1,250 Risperdal lawsuits that are currently pending against Johnson & Johnson in the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas.