Parker Waichman LLP, a national law firm dedicated to protecting the rights of victims injured by defective drugs and medical devices, is commenting on litigation involving Risperdal, an antipsychotic medication marketed by Johnson & Johnson's Janssen unit. On December 11, 2015, Law360 reported that a Philadelphia jury ordered Janssen to pay $500,000 to a plaintiff who alleged Risperdal was to blame for his gynecomastia, the growth of female-like breasts in males. The jury sided with the plaintiff, finding that Risperdal caused gynecomastia and that J&J failed to warn about these risks. The case is Timothy Stange v. Janssen Pharmaceuticals Inc. et al., case number 130401984, in the Court of Common Pleas of Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania. http://www.law360.com/productliability/articles/737054?nl_pk=5337cdd1-5a93-4736-824c-916785735de8&utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=productliability
The lawsuit was filed in April 2013 on behalf of a Wisconsin boy who was prescribed Risperdal in 2006 to treat symptoms associated with Tourette's syndrome. He subsequently developed gynecomastia, allegedly due to use of Risperdal. When the boy started taking the drug, the warning label listed gynecomastia as a rare side effect in adults, with an incidence of less than one in 1,000 patients. However, the lawsuit alleges, J&J had gathered data years before showing that gynecomastia occurred at much higher rates among adolescent males. In October 2006, the warning label on Risperdal was revised to state that gynecomastia occurs in 2.3 percent of adolescent users. J&J attorneys were unsuccessful in attempting to convince the jury that the boy's gynecomastia could not conclusively be linked to Risperdal. Company lawyers tried to argue that the gynecomastia was a natural effect of puberty. After six hours of deliberation the jury found that Risperdal was to blame for the boy's breast growth and that the company failed to adequately warn about this risk, the Law360 report indicated.
According to Parker Waichman, there is a substantial amount of evidence indicating J&J omitted important information regarding the risks of Risperdal. This verdict is a victory, not only for the plaintiff, but potentially for other Risperdal patients who developed gynecomastia, as well. By returning a verdict against J&J, the jury sent a strong message that companies will be held liable for placing profits before patient safety, said Melanie Muhlstock, Managing Attorney at the firm.
The judge previously imposed a three-week delay of the trial so that plaintiffs would have the opportunity review hundreds of thousands of pages of new discovery, wrote Law360. Janssen submitted documents involving a 2003 study; plaintiffs alleged that the study, which was funded by Janssen, intentionally left out data linking Risperdal to elevated hormones levels that may result in gynecomastia. Testimony during trial revealed that two authors have since tried to reanalyze the data to undermine its significance, according to a December 10, 2015 Law360 report. During the case, plaintiffs' attorneys also alleged that J&J recruited a third statistician to help reanalysis. In alleging that the statistician may have been influenced by J&J, plaintiffs' attorneys cited an email exchange in which the parties discussed meeting for dinner at a sandwich shop and attending a Philadelphia Phillies baseball game. (http://www.law360.com/articles/736442/philly-jury-urged-to-find-against-j-j-in-breast-growth-case)
This is the third verdict handed down to J&J, with previous verdicts totaling $4.5 million, according to the Law360 report. Lawsuits have gone to trial before Philadelphia juries and before Los Angeles State Court. The cases heard before the Philadelphia juries are the first of over 1,600 cases that are part of a mass tort litigation. Other Risperdal lawsuits have also been filed in Los Angeles state court. In one case, a $2.5 million verdict was found for the plaintiff. That case is Pledger et al. v. Janssen Pharmaceuticals Inc. et al., case number 120401997, in the Court of Common Pleas of the State of Pennsylvania, County of Philadelphia. In the second case, in March 2015, the jury agreed that Janssen's warning were not sufficient. That case is Cirba et al v. Janssen Pharmaceuticals Inc., case number 130301803, in the Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas. The third case, case is Timothy Stange v. Janssen Pharmaceuticals Inc. et al., case number 130401984, in the Court of Common Pleas of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, which has been discussed in greater detail here and found for the plaintiff in the amount of $500,000. The fourth case, Nicholas Murray v. Janssen Pharmaceuticals Inc., case number 130401990, in the Court of Common Pleas of Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania was found for the plaintiff in a $1.75 million verdict in Pennsylvania state court. Parker Waichman notes that the four cases, which have been heard in Philadelphia in a jury trial are the first, nationwide, to be heard over Risperdal gynecomastia allegations.
Parker Waichman LLP continues to offer free lawsuit consultations to victims of Risperdal side effects, including gynecomastia. [Please visit the firm's Risperdal Side Effects page at yourlawyer.com](http://www.yourlawyer.com/topics/overview/risperdal-lawsuit-breast-growth-men-gynecomastia). Free case evaluations are also available by calling 1-800-LAW-INFO (1-800-529-4636).
