Developed and widely distributed by Johnson & Johnson subsidiary, Ortho-McNeill-Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Risperdal rapidly became one of the most widely prescribed psychiatric medications since it has been released to the United States consumer market about a decade ago, online sources say. On the other hand, as numerous studies and hundreds of adverse-event reports have emerged, the drug’s alleged adverse effects have also elicited mounting Risperdal lawsuits against its manufacturer.
Risperdal, also marketed under generic name risperidone, is an antipsychotic belonging to a newer class of psychiatric medications known as atypical antipsychotics. It has been initially indicated for the treatment of adult schizophrenia since its market release in 1993 and has been sequentially approved by the US Food and Drug Administration as treatment to adult bipolar disorder in 2003. The drug’s indications were eventually expanded in 2006 to include symptoms of irritability in autistic children, and further augmented in 2007 to include schizophrenia and bipolar disorder in children and adolescents. While Risperdal may have helped treat symptoms of psychosis in affected individuals, it has also been surrounded with various controversies, prompting questions about its safety and several formal complaints from patients.
Such was the course of action of a former Risperdal user who filed his legal claim in a Pennsylvania court in July 2010, according to legal news sites. The 21-year old plaintiff was under Risperdal treatment between 1999 and 2004 during which he reportedly developed gynecomastia – a condition characterized by the development of male breast tissues. He claimed of enduring significant psychological distress from growing abnormally large breasts. Additionally, Risperdal has not been reportedly approved for pediatric use at the time he was treated with the drug.
In 2012, more than 420 lawsuits highlighting Risperdal adverse effects have been lodged against Janssen Pharmaceuticals and its parent company Johnson & Johnson in various courts across the country, according to a previous Bloomberg report. More than 100 of these lawsuits claim that the use of Risperdal caused users to develop gynecomastia, while all of them allege that the manufacturing company did not sufficiently warn of the drug’s potential risks on its label, including gynecomastia in younger patients. In addition to gynecomastia, other serious health problems such as movement disorders, diabetes, hyperglycemia, heart problems, and even death have also been associated with the use of Risperdal. Relevant information pertaining to the hazards Risperdal have been reported to cause are also featured on various personal injury law firm sites, similar to the Rottenstein Law Group’s online information center at www.rotlaw.com.
Risperdal, also marketed under generic name risperidone, is an antipsychotic belonging to a newer class of psychiatric medications known as atypical antipsychotics. It has been initially indicated for the treatment of adult schizophrenia since its market release in 1993 and has been sequentially approved by the US Food and Drug Administration as treatment to adult bipolar disorder in 2003. The drug’s indications were eventually expanded in 2006 to include symptoms of irritability in autistic children, and further augmented in 2007 to include schizophrenia and bipolar disorder in children and adolescents. While Risperdal may have helped treat symptoms of psychosis in affected individuals, it has also been surrounded with various controversies, prompting questions about its safety and several formal complaints from patients.
Such was the course of action of a former Risperdal user who filed his legal claim in a Pennsylvania court in July 2010, according to legal news sites. The 21-year old plaintiff was under Risperdal treatment between 1999 and 2004 during which he reportedly developed gynecomastia – a condition characterized by the development of male breast tissues. He claimed of enduring significant psychological distress from growing abnormally large breasts. Additionally, Risperdal has not been reportedly approved for pediatric use at the time he was treated with the drug.
In 2012, more than 420 lawsuits highlighting Risperdal adverse effects have been lodged against Janssen Pharmaceuticals and its parent company Johnson & Johnson in various courts across the country, according to a previous Bloomberg report. More than 100 of these lawsuits claim that the use of Risperdal caused users to develop gynecomastia, while all of them allege that the manufacturing company did not sufficiently warn of the drug’s potential risks on its label, including gynecomastia in younger patients. In addition to gynecomastia, other serious health problems such as movement disorders, diabetes, hyperglycemia, heart problems, and even death have also been associated with the use of Risperdal. Relevant information pertaining to the hazards Risperdal have been reported to cause are also featured on various personal injury law firm sites, similar to the Rottenstein Law Group’s online information center at www.rotlaw.com.
