Louisiana Plaintiff Files Risperdal Lawsuit Alleging The Drug Caused Son’s Development Of Gynecomastia

LegalHerald.com reports on another lawsuit which has been filed regarding the anti-psychotic drug Risperdal. The complaint was filed against pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson, the manufacturer of the drug, by a mother who alleges that use of the drug caused her son to develop significant gynecomastia (breast growth in males). Her lawsuit was filed in December of 2014 in the Eastern District of Louisiana on behalf of her 17-year-old son.

Unfortunately, this plaintiff is not alone in her complaints. It has been reported that more than 1,012 lawsuits concerning the drug have been consolidated in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to undergo coordinated pretrial proceedings and some earlier filed cases have already seen trial dates.

In 2012, Johnson & Johnson reportedly settled a lawsuit filed by a 21-year-old plaintiff who had used Risperdal and developed gynecomastia. In this particular case, the plaintiff had begun using the potent drug when he was only 9 years old, which preceded FDA-approval of use of the drug by children.

It has been noted that Johnson & Johnson marketed the drug for use in children. This is known as “off-label” marketing, as the drug was not FDA-approved for this use at the time. The Department of Justice, in fact, ordered Johnson & Johnson to pay fines of $2.2 billion to resolve both criminal and civil allegations against them in November of 2013. The allegations involved illegal marketing of certain drugs and included Risperdal “off-label” promotions for children.

Some of the children who have used Risperdal have developed serious side effects, like substantial weight-gain, type-2 diabetes, or gynecomastia. Not only are these medical conditions able to impact a patient’s life expectancy, health, and quality of life, but they can also have long-term psychological, physical, and emotional side effects. When a patient develops severe gynecomastia, the only treatment for the condition is surgery.

The attorneys of Banville Law understand what a devastating emotional toll the development of severe gynecomastia can have on a male patient. They are currently working to assist anyone who has used Risperdal and who feels that they have suffered from adverse health events because of their use of the drug. Affected patients may be entitled to substantial compensation attained through legal action. The attorneys of Banville Law strongly believe that each patient is entitled to the opportunity to explore their legal rights in full, and to help patients accomplish this, they are currently offering free legal consultations to affected parties.

To request further information on Risperdal lawsuits, or to ask questions, please contact the attorneys of Banville Law by calling 888-997-3792.