A recent Risperdal study indicates this medication significantly raises the chances of gynecomastia development in young boys.

The purpose of this Risperdal study was to estimate the risk of gynecomastia, or male breast growth, in young adult male patients taking the antipsychotic.

Researcher Dr. Mahyar Etminan and several colleagues conducted this study analyzing 401,924 young male patients between the ages of 15 to 25 years of age.

The subjects’ data was collected from the IMS LifeLink database, along with a case control study that identified cases of gynecomastia.

According to this Risperdal study, factors such as long term or short term Risperdal exposure was considered, along with other variables that may have influenced the results.

Out of the 401,924 patients who were prescribed Risperdal, 1,556 cases of gynecomastia were identified along with 15,560 corresponding controls.

Researchers in the Risperdal study found that patients who were prescribed Risperdal were approximately four times more likely to develop gynecomastia compared to non Risperdal patients.

Furthermore, the Risperdal study found that adolescent male patients were five times more likely to develop gynecomastia when prescribed the medication.

The Risperdal study concluded that gynecomastia was a significant risk in younger male patients who were prescribed the antipsychotic.

Researchers stated that prescribing physicians should consider this side effect when considering different treatment methods and should consider alternative medications.

This Risperdal study was published in a recent issue of the Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychopharmacology, with Dr. Etminan serving as a consultant on the Risperdal gynecomastia litigation.

Overview of Risperdal Gynecomastia

Risperdal (risperidone) is an atypical antipsychotic which is often prescribed to treat extreme mental disorders like schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.

Originally approved by the FDA in 1993, Risperdal was meant to be prescribed to adult patients for the specific psychological disorders approved for treatment.

However soon after its release, doctors began prescribing Risperdal to pediatric patients for off label purposes.

While not illegal for doctors to prescribe medications for off label purposes, it is illegal for manufacturing companies to advertise them for such.

Johnson & Johnson and subsidiary Janssen Pharmaceuticals allegedly conducted this fraudulent behavior after noticing the drug’s popularity among younger patients.

Risperdal works by managing the levels of dopamine and serotonin in the brain which is meant to induce a balanced state of mind.

However this drug naturally interacts with the body’s pituitary gland which is primarily responsible for hormone production during adolescence and other major development milestones.

Risperdal causes the body’s natural prolactin levels to increase which can result in male breast growth. Prolactin is the main hormone responsible for breast development in young girls, and is naturally produced in small amounts in boys.

Even though this is an important side effect to disclose, Johnson & Johnson allegedly failed to disclose this information even after Risperdal was officially approved to treat children in 2007.

Many Risperdal patients have opted to file legal action against Johnson & Johnson for failing to warn them against their drug’s complications.