Risperidone, sold under the brand name Risperdal, has recently come
under major legal scrutiny and been the subject of Risperdal lawsuits over the
issue of male breast growth. The drug, manufactured by Janssen Pharmaceuticals,
a Johnson & Johnson subsidiary, is a prescription drug classified as an anti-psychotic.
It was designed to treat schizophrenia without the sedating effects on the
patient that so many older anti psychotic drugs caused.
Like other drugs designed to treat maladies of the brain, the drug
was found to be helpful against several other disorders, and it was
subsequently approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat
bipolar disorder, as well as aggression and irritability associated with
autism.
However, Risperdal has been found to cause a number of serious side
effects. This allegedly includes a condition called gynecomastia, or male
breast growth. The condition is obviously an emotionally scarring disability,
and can be very stigmatizing. Additionally, Risperdal is associated with weight
gain and diabetes, which may initially camouflage gynecomastia.
Lawsuits over Risperdal side effects have been consolidated into a
multidistrict litigation (MDL) in Pennsylvania state court. It is yet to be determined if there will be a Federal court MDL created. For more information on MDL’s,
please see my previous blog posts. Over 360 lawsuits have been filed on behalf
of plaintiffs who have been injured by Risperdal.
The Risperdal
Gynecomastia MDL is In re: Risperdal Litigation, Case No. 100300296, in the
Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas.
Pittman, Dutton & Hellums, P.C., is currently investigating Risperdal injury
claims. If you or a loved one were injured as a result of taking Risperdal,
please contact Booth Samuels at 1-866-515-8880 or by email at booths@pittmandutton.com.
