A New York man recently filed a Risperdal gynecomastia lawsuit against the drug’s manufacturers, Janssen, alleging it caused chest pain and gynecomastia, or breast growth.

According to the Risperdal gynecomastia lawsuit the plaintiff, Jeffrey B., began taking Risperdal according to his prescription in 2013, and continued taking the drug until 2014, when things took a turn for the worse.

In around March of 2014, Jeffrey says he began experiencing serious complications, including chest pain and breast enlargement, or gynecomastia. His gynecomastia was diagnosed in July 2014, and according to the Risperdal gynecomastia lawsuit, was directly caused by his intake of Risperdal.

What’s worse, Janssen was aware about the link between its antipsychotic drug and gynecomastia, and indeed knew that Risperdal had a “higher rate of causing gynecomastia than actually disclosed, published, and/or reported,” the Risperdal gynecomastia lawsuit claims.

But instead of giving adequate warning to patients and the medical community about this risk, the company chose to actively conceal their knowledge of Risperdal’s defects.

These complications led Jeffrey to file his Risperdal gynecomastia lawsuit against Janssen, hoping to gain compensation for his injuries.

Risperdal Background

Risperdal (or risperidone, its generic name) is an antipsychotic medication from Janssen Pharmaceuticals, a prominent subsidiary of pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Risperdal to treat a variety of mental and mood disorders, including schizophrenia, bipolar mania, autism and others. Since its release, Risperdal has quickly become one of the more popular antipsychotic medications on the market.

What is Gynecomastia?

Any medication comes with certain side effects, and antipsychotics like Risperdal are no exception. As with most medications, Risperdal side effects are generally minor, and include such complications as dizziness, fatigue, anxiety, nausea and skin rashes.

Most patients who develop any side effects of Risperdal experience these mild complications, and they usually go away on their own or simply require being taken off the medication with no lasting effects.

However, some side effects of Risperdal are more serious. A growing number of boys and young men who take Risperdal are increasingly reporting problems with male breast growth, or gynecomastia.

While not a physically dangerous condition (though many patients experience chest pains as well), gynecomastia is a serious problem, given its lasting nature and the difficulty of treatment. For some men, Risperdal male breasts became such an issue in their daily lives that they have undergone surgery to remove the excess tissue.

Filing a Risperdal Gynecomastia Lawsuit

Hundreds of boys and young men who have suffered from male breast growth caused by Risperdal have filed a Risperdal gynecomastia lawsuit against Janssen and its parent company, Johnson & Johnson.

These lawsuits claim that that the drug manufacturer failed to adequately warn patients and the medical community about the potential side effects of the drug that could have such a drastic effect on their daily lives, including male breast growth, or gynecomastia.

If you or someone you love has been diagnosed with gynecomastia after using Risperdal, you may be able to file a Risperdal gynecomastia lawsuit against Janssen for failure to adequately warn about the potential Risperdal side effects.

While filing a Risperdal gynecomastia lawsuit cannot take away the pain and suffering caused by Risperdal side effects, it can help to alleviate the financial burden incurred by lost wages and medical expenses.

The Risperdal Gynecomastia Lawsuit is Case No. 1:17-cv-04507, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.