The large number of Risperdal cases is causing headaches for Johnson & Johnson because the drug is accused of causing gynecomastia (man boobs) in young boys.

Risperdal is the brand name of generic risperidone, an antipsychotic medicine used to treat schizophrenia.

The Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology published research indicating that risperidone increased prolactin levels in both boys and girls. Prolactin, a hormone made by the pituitary gland, rises in pregnant women and helps them produce breast milk.

The FDA approved Risperdal in 1993 to treat schizophrenia. Over the years, the drug has been used to control a wider range of mental health issues, leading to a larger population exposed to the drug’s risks and a subsequent increase in Risperdal cases. The drug now is also used to treat bipolar disorder and autism.

Risperdal is in a class of drugs called dopamine antagonists. Risperdal binds to the dopamine receptors in the front of the brain where they are responsible for integrating emotions, perceptions and self-control.

Increased dopamine activity is largely blamed for inducing schizophrenia and other symptoms of psychosis that include breaks from reality.

Schizophrenia is a chronic, disabling mental disorder that affects more than two million Americans. Schizophrenic people experience hallucinations, delusions, disordered thinking, movement disorders and social withdrawal.

Risperdal Cases Continue to Build

Over the last several years, Johnson & Johnson has faced thousands of Risperdal cases.

For the first several years Risperdal was on the market, it was not approved by the FDA for use in younger patients. Yet many children have been prescribed the drug for everything from depression to ADHD.

Janssen allegedly knew that Risperdal caused breast growth in boys six years before updating the medication’s label to indicate such a warning.

Former FDA Commissioner David Kessler has alleged that Johnson & Johnson purposely hid the gynecomastia side effect from healthcare professionals and the public, according to testimony he has given.

In three Risperdal cases, Johnson and Johnson was hit with judgments of $500,000, $2.5 million and $1.75 million respectively in compensation for damages that occurred because inadequate warnings were given regarding Risperdal ingestion. The company was assessed more than $2.2 billion in fines and penalties in November 2013.

Risperdal cases also have taken on the marketing of the drug. Settlements of more than $300 million total were spread out among marketing lawsuits in Texas, South Carolina and the District of Columbia.

California has collected an estimated 16,000 Risperdal cases that will be consolidated and heard in Los Angeles courts in July. Another 2,000 cases await trial in Philadelphia.

Gynecomastia is a disfiguring side effect for young men. The man boobs may not decrease in size when the drug is no longer taken. Even weight loss has little effect on the size of the breast tissue.

Many men and boys who have gynecomastia need surgery to remove the excess tissue that accumulates in the breasts.

If you or someone you know has a Risperdal case because of gynecomastia, you could be eligible for compensation through legal representation.