As Risperdal Lawsuits Move Forward in U.S. Courts, Bernstein Liebhard LLP Notes Rising Use of Antipsychotic Drugs among Australian Children
NEW YORK, Nov. 18, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- As Risperdal lawsuits (http://www.risperdallawsuit2014.com/) move forward in U.S. courts, Bernstein Liebhard LLP notes that the use of antipsychotic drugs has risen significantly among children in Australia. According to a report from the U.K.'s Daily Mail, more than 100,000 antipsychotic prescriptions were written for Australian children in 2013. Risperidone (sold in the U.S. under the brand name Risperdal) Quetiapine and Olanzapine were the three most commonly prescribed medicines. The report noted that the number of prescriptions greatly outpaced the number of Australian children who suffer from bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and other psychotic ailments, suggesting that many were receiving the medications off-label for unapproved indications.
"Hundreds of people in the U.S. are now pursuing Risperdal lawsuits for gynecomastia, or male breast growth, and other complications allegedly associated with its use. In noting that Risperdal and other antipsychotic medications should be used cautiously, this report points to many of these same complications," says Bernstein Liebhard LLP, a nationwide law firm representing the victims of defective drugs and medical devices. The Firm is currently offering free legal consultations to men and boys who allegedly developed gynecomastia due to their use of Risperdal.
Risperdal Lawsuits
Risperdal was launched on the U.S. market in the late 1990s, but was only approved for pediatric uses in 2006. Currently, the drug is indicated for the treatment of adult and adolescent schizophrenia, bipolar disorder in adults and children ages 10-to-17, and irritability in children (5-to-16 years of age) with autistic disorder. The medication is also sometimes prescribed for off-label uses, including the treatment of ADHD in children.
According to court documents, more than 1,000 Risperdal lawsuits are pending in a consolidated litigation now underway in in the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas in Pennsylvania, all of which were filed on behalf of plaintiffs who allegedly suffered gynecomastia and other serious side effects due to its use. Johnson & Johnson and its Janssen Pharmaceuticals unit are accused of improperly marketing Risperdal for off-label uses, including certain pediatric indications. The complaints further allege that the companies concealed the drug's risks, including the association between Risperdal and male breast growth. (In Re: Risperdal Litigation, Case Number 100300296)
Last November, Johnson & Johnson and Janssen agreed to pay $2.2 billion to settle charges levied by the U.S. Department of Justice that involved the marketing of Risperdal and other medications. Under the terms of the settlement, the companies admitted to improperly marketing Risperdal for use in elderly dementia patients. However, they did not admit wrongdoing in resolving civil charges over the alleged marketing of the drug for off-label pediatric uses.
Men and boys who developed gynecomastia allegedly due to Risperdal may be entitled to file their own lawsuit against the manufacturers of the medication. Learn more about filing a Risperdal lawsuit by visiting Bernstein Liebhard LLP's website. To arrange for a free case review, please contact the Firm directly by calling (888) 340-4807.
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, including those who have been harmed by dangerous drugs, defective medical devices and consumer products. The firm has been named by The National Law Journal to the Plaintiffs' Hot List, recognizing the top plaintiffs firms in the country, for the past 12 consecutive years. Bernstein Liebhard LLP is the only firm in the country to be named to this prestigious list every year since the list was first published in 2003.
Bernstein Liebhard LLP
10 East 40th Street
New York, New York 10016
(888) 340-4807
ATTORNEY ADVERTISING. © 2014 Bernstein Liebhard LLP. The law firm responsible for this advertisement is Bernstein Liebhard LLP, 10 East 40th Street, New York, New York 10016, (888) 340-4807. Prior results do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome with respect to any future matter.
Contact Information:
Felecia L. Stern, Esq.
Bernstein Liebhard LLP
info (at) consumerinjurylawyers (dot) com
http://www.risperdallawsuit2014.com/
https://plus.google.com/115936073311125306742?rel=author
Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120202/MM47134LOGO
SOURCE Bernstein Liebhard LLP
Related Links
WANT YOUR COMPANY'S NEWS FEATURED ON PRNEWSWIRE.COM?
Newsrooms &
Influencers
Digital Media
Outlets
Journalists
Opted In
Share this article