Johnson & Johnson, parent company of Risperdal manufacturer Janssen, has been ordered to pay the third largest pharmaceutical settlement in United States history.
Johnson & Johnson will pay out $2.2 billion in civil and criminal fines after the company allegedly marketed risperidone — sold under the brand name of Risperdal — to children, elderly adults and individuals with developmental disabilities.
The U.S. Justice Department claims that Johnson & Johnson subsidiary Janssen Pharmacueticals marketed Risperdal as a drug that could be used to control children who suffer from developmental disabilities and elderly patients who are living with dementia. The marketing reportedly took place between 1999 to 2005.
It’s said that the Risperdal manufacturer marketed the drug for use in developmentally-delayed children and dementia patients without effectively cautioning about the health risks and side effects. As a result of these alleged actions, Johnson & Johnson was slapped with a criminal charge and ordered to pay $485 million in fines and penalties.
It’s also alleged that Janssen paid out so-called ‘kick-backs’ to physicians who agreed to prescribe the drug more often. This resulted in civil violations, with penalties totaling $1.72 billion.
Risperdal, classified as an atypical anti-psychotic drug, is used to treat a range of different conditions, including bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, dementia, autism and Tourette’s syndrome.
Risperdal is associated with a wide range of health risks and side effects, including:
- seizures;
- drooling;
- arrhythmia;
- muscle twitches and convulsions;
- gynecomastia; and
- an increased risk of death in elderly patients who have been diagnosed with dementia.
Risperdal has also been associated with a number of lawsuits involving patients who have developed gynecomastia — a condition involving the development of breasts in a male.
Attorney Emery Ledger, of The Ledger Law Firm, is currently available to assist individuals who have suffered medical complications such as gynecomastia due to Risperdal. To discuss your case with attorney Emery Ledger, call 800-300-0001.
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