Johnson & Johnson agreed to settle a Mississippi plaintiff's case involving Risperdal side-effects, days before going to the trial. The plaintiff was a young boy when he was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 2004 for which he took Risperdal medication. The lawsuit filed by his parents stated that he gained weight and developed breasts soon after starting the course.
A law firm also stated that the boy, “suffered considerable ridicule in school, causing a great deal of childhood trauma and shame.” Risperdal was approved to be used as a bipolar disorder drug for adolescents in 2007. However, J&J still faces 13,500 cases involving allegations by individuals that the company purposely concealed the gynecomastia risks from patients and doctors.
Two coordinated actions have been filed for Risperdal cases: one in Los Angeles Superior Court (Risperdal and Invega Product Liability Cases, JCCP 4775) and the other in Philadelphia (In Re: Risperdal Litigation, March 2010 Term, Case No. 100300296).
