As Risperdal Lawsuits Mount, Bernstein Liebhard LLP Notes New Study Suggesting Risperdal May Not Reduce Certain Autism Symptoms
New York, New York (PRWEB) December 17, 2014 -- As Risperdal lawsuits (http://www.risperdallawsuit2014.com/) mount in U.S. courts, Bernstein Liebhard LLP notes the publication of new research that suggests the atypical antipsychotic drug may not be effective in treating certain symptoms of autism. The 10-year study, which appeared last month in the Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychopharmacology, looked at 184 autistic children, 50 of whom had been treated with risperidone, which is sold in generic versions and under the brand name Risperdal. Toward the end of the study period, parents of 33 of these children reported improvements in irritability, aggression and anxiety. However, no changes were reported in regards to hallmark autism symptoms, such as social impairments, communication deficits and repetitive behaviors. The authors of the study recommended that autistic children treated with the medication undergo periodic re-evaluations, especially in light of the serious side effects associated with its use.*
“This study comes as hundreds of plaintiffs, many of whom took Risperdal to treat autism symptoms, pursue lawsuits for gynecomastia and other complications allegedly caused by the drug. This study is a reminder that the risks and benefits associated with this powerful antipsychotic medication must be carefully considered before it is prescribed,” 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, or male breast growth, due to their use of Risperdal.
Risperdal Litigation
Risperdal (risperidone) is an atypical antipsychotic drug that is approved by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) to treat 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.**
According to court documents, more than 1,000 Risperdal lawsuits are now pending in a mass tort litigation underway in Pennsylvania’s Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas, where Bernstein Liebhard LLP is actively filing claims. All of these lawsuits were filed on behalf of individuals who allegedly suffered serious side effects related to its use, including gynecomastia. The lawsuits claim, among other things, that Johnson & Johnson and its Janssen Pharmaceuticals unit improperly marketed Risperdal for off-label pediatric uses, including the treatment of autism prior to regulatory approval of that indication in 2006. Risperdal gynecomastia plaintiffs also accuse the companies of failing to warn that patients using the drug may experience elevated level of prolactin, a hormone tied to female breast growth and lactation. (In Re: Risperdal Litigation, Case Number 100300296).
In November 2013, Johnson & Johnson and Janssen agreed to pay $2.2 billion to resolve criminal and civil charges with the U.S. Department of Justice regarding the marketing of several medications, including Risperdal. Among other things, the companies were accused of improperly promoting the antipsychotic drug for unapproved uses. Johnson & Johnson and Janssen pled guilty to promoting Risperdal for use in elderly dementia patients, but did not admit wrongdoing in resolving any of the other allegations. (U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, 04-cv-1529)
Men and boys who allegedly developed gynecomastia due to their use of Risperdal may be able to recover compensation for medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering and other damages. To learn more about filing a Risperdal lawsuit, please visit Bernstein Liebhard LLP’s website. For a free case review, please call 800-511-5092.
*http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25361070, Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychopharmacology, November 19, 2014
**accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2009/020272s056,020588s044,021346s033,021444s03lbl.pdf, FDA, June 2009
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 billion on behalf of our clients. 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 it was first published in 2003.
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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, 800-511-5092. Prior results do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome with respect to any future matter.
Contact Information:
Felecia L. Stern, Esq.
info (at) consumerinjurylawyers (dot) com
http://www.risperdallawsuit2014.com/
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Felecia L. Stern, Risperdal Gynecomastia Lawsuit Center, http://www.risperdallawsuit2014.com/, +1 800-511-5092, [email protected]
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