Risperdal Lawsuit News: Third Gynecomastia Bellwether Trial Now Underway in Pennsylvania, Bernstein Liebhard LLP Reports

October 19, 2015 - The third bellwether trial of a Risperdal gynecomastia lawsuit (http://bl.risperdallawsuitcenter.com/) is now underway in Pennsylvania's Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas, where at least 1,500 cases have been filed on behalf of individuals who allegedly experienced excessive male breast growth and other complications related to its use. The case now before a jury was brought by a Risperdal user who was prescribed the drug off-label as an 11-year-old boy to treat symptoms associated with Tourette's syndrome. The plaintiff, who required surgery to remove excess breast tissue that allegedly resulted from his exposure to Risperdal, alleges that Johnson & Johnson and its Janssen Pharmaceutical unit made millions of dollars from the drug by improperly promoting unapproved pediatric uses. The lawsuit further claims that the pharmaceutical companies failed to adequately warn doctors about the association between Risperdal and the development of gynecomastia in boys. (Case No. 130401984)

"Our Firm is representing a number of Risperdal gynecomastia plaintiffs who are alleged to have experienced similar issues with this medication. We are monitoring this trial closely, as its outcome could provide insight into possible jury decisions in similar lawsuits," said Sandy A. Liebhard, a partner at Bernstein Liebhard LLP, a nationwide law firm representing the victims of defective drugs and medical devices. The Firm continues to provide free legal reviews to alleged victims of Risperdal gynecomastia.

Risperdal Gynecomastia Litigation
The U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Risperdal to treat schizophrenia and bipolar disorder in adults and adolescents, as well as irritability symptoms related to autism. While the powerful antipsychotic has been on the market since 1993, its first pediatric indications were not approved until 2006. It has never been cleared by the FDA to treat Tourette's syndrome, the condition suffered by the Risperdal plaintiff whose case is currently at trial.

In November 2013, the U.S. Department of Justice announced that Johnson & Johnson and Janssen Pharmaceuticals had agreed to pay $2.2 billion to settle charges that they improperly marketed Risperdal and other medications. Among other things, the federal government had accused the companies of promoting the off-label use of Risperdal in children. (U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, 04-cv-1529)

The Risperdal mass tort litigation underway in Philadelphia is currently in the midst of a bellwether trial program involving gynecomastia cases, the first of which concluded in February with a $2.5 million verdict in favor of the plaintiff. (Case No. A-196444) A second case was heard the following month, with the jury finding that Johnson & Johnson and Janssen's warnings regarding male breast growth were inadequate. However, jurors declined to award the plaintiff any damages after determining that there was not enough evidence to conclude that the drug had caused his condition. (Case No. 130301803) A third trial was scheduled to begin in May, but an undisclosed settlement was reached in the case just before open arguments were to start. (Case No. 130301812).

Alleged victims of Risperdal-induced gynecomastia may be entitled to file their own lawsuit against Johnson & Johnson and Janssen. To learn more about your potential legal rights, please contact Bernstein Liebhard LLP for a free case review by visiting the Firm's website, or by calling 800-511-5092.

About Bernstein Liebhard LLP
Bernstein Liebhard LLP is a New York-based law firm exclusively representing injured persons in complex individual and class action lawsuits nationwide since 1993. As a national law firm, Bernstein Liebhard LLP possesses all of the legal and financial resources required to successfully challenge billion dollar pharmaceutical and medical device companies. As a result, our attorneys and legal staff have been able to recover more than $3.5 billion on behalf of our clients. The Firm was named by The National Law Journal to the Plaintiffs' Hot List, recognizing the top plaintiffs firms in the country, for 12 consecutive years. Bernstein Liebhard LLP is the only firm in the country to be named to this prestigious list for a dozen consecutive years.

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Contact Information:
Sandy A. Liebhard, Esq.
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http://bl.risperdallawsuitcenter.com/
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