The first Risperdal trial in a collection of 5,000 lawsuits has reached a verdict of $2.5 million to the plaintiff for failing to warn about Risperdal gynecomastia side effects.

Risperdal lawsuits allege that the drug’s manufacturer, Janssen (a subsidiary of pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson) failed to adequately warn patients and the medical community about the risk of developing gynecomastia that had been heavily linked with the medication. Over 5,000 such lawsuits have been filed in the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas.

This initial Risperdal trial ended in February 2015, with the jury finding that Janssen failed to give adequate warning about the risk of gynecomastia that had been linked with Risperdal.

In this Risperdal trial, the plaintiff was only 8 years old when he began taking Risperdal to treat symptoms of autism back in 2002.

While Janssen has since argued for the initial $2.5 million verdict of the Risperdal trial to be overturned, the post-trial motion was denied.

Background of Risperdal

Risperdal (also known by its generic name, risperidone) was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) back in 1993 as a treatment for schizophrenia.

Since then, it has also been approved for the treatment of bipolar mania, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), and certain symptoms of autism, and has become one of the most popular antipsychotics available today.

Risperdal is what is known as an atypical antipsychotic, which works to treat conditions by helping to restore the balance of various natural substances in the brain.

Risperdal was initially not approved for use in children, and had not been approved at the time this plaintiff began taking the medication. Risperdal was eventually approved in 2006 for use in younger patients.

Side Effects of Risperdal: Gynecomastia

Any medication will come with certain minor side effects, and Risperdal is no exception. Mild side effects of Risperdal include involuntary motion, dizziness, fatigue, anxiety, nausea and skin rashes, all of which are mild enough that they should go away on their own without further treatment.

Unfortunately, the more serious Risperdal complications are those which some patients claim have not been adequately warned about to the patients, their families or the medical community. Risperdal has been linked with a serious side effect known as gynecomastia.

Essentially, gynecomastia is the abnormal growth of male breast tissue. Hundreds of boys and young men who have been prescribed Risperdal to treat their mental and mood disorders have developed male breast growth as a side effect of the medication.

In some cases, boys had such excessive breast tissue grown that the breasts became the size of “D” cups. Breast growth from Risperdal became such an issue in the daily lives of some of these young men that they ended up undergoing surgery to remove excess tissue.

Filing a Risperdal Lawsuit

If you or someone you love has suffered from side effects of Risperdal, or you are a male who has developed excessive breast tissues due to taking Risperdal, you may be able to file a Risperdal lawsuit against Johnson and Johnson for failure to adequately warn about the potential side effects of the drug.

While filing a lawsuit cannot alleviate the pain and suffering caused by gynecomastia, a strong verdict in a Risperdal trial like this one can help with financial complications from medical expenses. A Risperdal trial can sometimes reach a verdict of millions of dollars for injured plaintiffs.