Risperdal Gynecomastia Risk Confirmed in New Study, Bernstein Liebhard LLP Reports

NEW YORK, March 18, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- As Risperdal lawsuits (http://www.risperdallawsuitcenter.com/)  continue to move forward in courts around the country, Bernstein Liebhard LLP notes that a new study has found evidence that use of the antipsychotic medication increases the risk of gynecomastia (male breast growth) in male patients. The study, which was presented this month at the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry (AAGP) 2014 Annual Meeting, found that male patients who used Risperdal were 69% more likely to experience breast development than non-users. Risperdal patients were also more likely to develop gynecomastia than those who were treated with other atypical antipsychotics, including Zyprexa and Seroquel.

According to the authors of the study, it was the first and largest to look at the issue of Risperdal gynecomastia, and drew data from more than 1 million patients included in a large insurance database.  The  team was able to identify 8,285 cases of gynecomastia. While the study only included older men, its authors cautioned that Risperdal gynecomastia could occur in any age group.

"This study appears to back the allegations in dozens of Risperdal lawsuits involving the drug's association with male breast development," 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 young men and boys who allegedly developed Risperdal due to their use of the antipsychotic medication.

Risperdal Lawsuits

According to court documents, more than 200 Risperdal lawsuits have been filed in a consolidated litigation in the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas in Pennsylvania on behalf of plaintiffs who allegedly suffered gynecomastia and other serious side effects due to their use of the medication. They further allege that Johnson & Johnson and its Janssen Pharmaceuticals unit concealed the drug's risks, including the association between Risperdal and male breast growth. The companies are also accused of improperly marketing Risperdal for off-label uses, including certain pediatric indications.

Risperdal was brought 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 an announcement issued by the U.S. Department of Justice on November 4, 2013, Johnson & Johnson and Janssen have agreed to pay $2.2 billion to settle charges that they improperly marketed Risperdal and other medications. Under the terms of the settlement, the companies pled guilty to a criminal misdemeanor charge over the illegal marketing of 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 pediatric uses.

Men and boys who allegedly developed Risperdal gynecomastia may be entitled to compensation for their medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and emotional distress. 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.risperdallawsuitcenter.com/ 
https://plus.google.com/115936073311125

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SOURCE Bernstein Liebhard LLP

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