As Risperdal lawsuits move forward, more and more attention has been focused on gynecomastia, or “man boobs,” the growth of female-like breasts in males. Gynecomastia may be caused by drugs like Risperdal, but like many diseases individual cases vary considerably.

Risperdal is an atypical antipsychotic, a class of drugs designed to treat schizophrenia and related disorders. Like many drugs for treating mental illness, Risperdal has been found to work to treat other disorders and conditions, including bipolar disorder and autism, as well as irritability associated with autism.

However, Risperdal has found itself in the crosshairs of massive Risperdal lawsuits due to both Risperdal side effect concerns and alleged illegal marketing of Risperdal. Among the alleged side effects of Risperdal is gynecomastia.

Physicians classify gynecomastia into four grades to describe the disease’s severity. Grade I includes minor male breast growth with no excess skin. In Grade II, gynecomastia patients experience moderate breast growth, but still without excess skin.

At Grade III, there is moderate male breast growth with excess skin, which could begin to complicate recovery and reconstruction. At the final grade, Grade IV, there is distinctive male breast growth.

Additionally, physicians classify gynecomastia as bilateral/symmetric or unilateral/asymmetric. In bilateral gynecomastia, male breast growth is equal on both sides of the chest.

Unilateral male breast growth only occurs on one side of the chest or is uneven. This could include gynecomastia that is different grades on each side of the chest. Along similar lines, a condition called pseudogynecomastia has also been reported.

In pseudogynecomastia, weight gain causes the appearance of breasts. Confusingly, weight gain is another alleged Risperdal side effect, and may cloak actual cases of gynecomastia for some Risperdal patients.

In addition to allegations of Risperdal side effects, the makers of the drug have settled massive Risperdal lawsuits specifically over wrongful death and illegal marketing. Under federal law, a drug manufacturer can only sell a drug for FDA-approved purposes. The process of getting FDA approval includes strict experimental protocols.

A drug manufacturer can apply for additional approved uses for a drug. In fact, this is how Risperdal was approved to treat bipolar disorder and autism symptoms. Additionally, federal law allows doctors to prescribe drugs beyond their FDA approval.

This is intended to allow doctors to use drugs when research moves faster than FDA approval, a practice called “off-label” usage. But it is illegal for drug companies to promote a drug for off-label use.

Several massive Risperdal lawsuits alleged that the makers of Risperdal illegally over-promoted the drug for off-label uses, including dementia. The allegations of off-label promotion may help Risperdal lawsuits that allege that drug makers over-promoted Risperdal in spite of risks like gynecomastia.

The Risperdal Gynecomastia MDL is In Re: Risperdal Litigation, Case No. 100300296, in the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas.