Risperdal Lawsuits Continue to Climb, as Claims in Pennsylvania Litigation Exceed 1,180 Filings, Bernstein Liebhard LLP Reports
New York, New York (PRWEB) December 24, 2014 -- Risperdal lawsuit (http://www.risperdallawsuit2014.com/) filings continue to mount in a mass tort litigation currently underway in Pennsylvania’s Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas, Bernstein Liebhard LLP reports. As of December 24, 2014, court documents indicate that 1,183 claims had been filed in the proceeding on behalf of individuals who developed gynecomastia (male breast growth) and other complications allegedly related to its use. Data from the Court indicates that this represents an increase of more than 100 filings in the past month. (In Re: Risperdal Litigation, Case Number 100300296).
“Our Firm is actively filing Risperdal lawsuits in this proceeding on behalf of men and boys who allegedly developed gynecomatstia due to treatment with this antipsychotic medication. We are not at all surprised that the number of claims pending in the litigation is growing at this pace,” says Bernstein Liebhard LLP, a nationwide law firm representing victims of defective medical devices and drugs including Risperdal. The Firm is currently offering free and confidential case evaluations to individuals who allegedly developed gynecomastia after taking Risperdal.
Risperdal Gynecomastia Allegations
Risperdal 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. However, recent research suggests that Risperdal is also prescribed for children with ADHD, although it has not been specifically approved for this purpose.*
According to court documents, all of the Risperdal lawsuits pending in Pennsylvania accuse the drug’s manufacturers of concealing its association with gynecomastia and other serious complications. Specifically, the gynecomastia cases allege that Johnson & Johnson and its Janssen Pharmaceuticals unit failed to adequately warn that the medication could cause users to experience elevated levels of prolactin, a hormone related to female breast growth and lactation. In male patients, excessive prolactin levels can cause swelling of breast tissue, breast pain and tenderness, nipple discharge, and even lactation. Finally, all of the Risperdal claims allege that the manufacturers of the drug improperly marketed the medication for off-label uses, including a number of pediatric indications that were not approved until 2006.
Johnson & Johnson and Janssen have also been accused of improperly marketing Risperdal and other drugs by the U.S. Department of Justice in a case that was settled in November 2013. Among other things, the companies pled guilty to a single criminal misdemeanor charge of misbranding Risperdal as a treatment for elderly dementia patients. However, they did not admit wrongdoing in resolving the charges pertaining to the marketing of Risperdal for children. According to the Department of Justice, the $2.2 billion accord was among the largest healthcare fraud settlements in U.S. history. (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.
*health.usnews.com/health-news/news/articles/2012/08/07/more-kids-taking-antipsychotics-for-adhd-study, U.S. News & World Report, August 7, 2012
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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Contact Information:
Felecia L. Stern, Esq.
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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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