A recent lawsuit filed by Wisner Baum LLP alleges that Johnson & Johnson and Eli Lilly marketed powerful antipsychotics to vulnerable groups—including children, the elderly, and people with disabilities—despite known links to breast cancer. The complaint accuses the drug makers of off-label promotion, scientific manipulation, and decades of hiding safety risks to expand profits at the expense of public health.
OAKLAND, Calif., Aug. 4, 2025 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- A lawsuit filed in Alameda County Superior Court alleges pharmaceutical giants Johnson & Johnson and Eli Lilly of selling powerful neuroleptic drugs that cause breast cancer. Earlier lawsuits over the same drugs accused the pharma giants of deliberately targeting vulnerable populations—including children with ADHD, elderly patients with dementia, and disabled individuals in institutional care.
Filed by Wisner Baum LLP on behalf of California resident Bridgett Brown, the complaint states that scientists have known for decades that the drugs boost prolactin levels, stimulating the development of breast cancer cells. A 2014 study shows, "Overexpression of the prolactin receptor is seen in more than 95% of human breast cancers. Many genes that are activated by the prolactin receptor are associated with tumorigenesis and cancer cell proliferation." (1)
Eli Lilly and Johnson & Johnson paid billions in prior federal settlements for similar conduct involving the same drugs – Zyprexa and Risperdal – including two of the largest criminal fines in history. These drugs were originally approved for narrow use in treating severe psychotic indications such as schizophrenia, but the companies broadened their customer base by illegally marketing the drugs for unapproved uses like attention-deficit disorder and mood stabilization.
"Johnson & Johnson was also previously named as a defendant in lawsuits alleging Risperdal caused gynecomastia (abnormal breast growth) and failed to warn about this risk," Wisner Baum attorney Monique Alarcon said. "These early Risperdal lawsuits, which were litigated between 2015-2021, resulted in significant verdicts for claimants."
Profit at What Cost?
Eli Lilly's current market value is approximately $772 billion; Johnson & Johnson is worth more than $400 billion, and this case shows that these impressive profits come with many hidden costs to public health.
In earlier litigation, the Department of Justice alleged the Defendant Drug Makers promoted their drugs for off-label uses by, among other tactics, "paying kickbacks to doctors and pharmacists; targeting sales calls toward child psychiatrists, adolescent mental health facilities, and nursing homes; and clouding research into safety concerns with "misinformation from a company trying to build its bottom line." (2)
Among the key allegations:
- J&J and Lilly developed Risperdal and Zyprexa when the patents from their predecessors were nearing expiration. They then marketed the drugs as safer and more effective, despite FDA's concerns that the new, more expensive drugs were also more dangerous.
- The drug companies directed sales efforts of these potent antipsychotics toward healthcare professionals serving children, adolescents and dementia patients, despite knowing the drugs significantly elevated prolactin levels—a hormonal change linked to increased breast cancer risk.
The companies failed to warn the public for decades, suppressing safety data and funding sham studies to mislead the FDA and the public.
"We've seen time and time again where Pharma Giants have put public health at risk. Here, they have used a playbook of aggressive marketing tactics directed at some of the most vulnerable members of our society while hiding a cancer risk, they've known about for decades," Alarcon said. "This case shows the danger of putting profits ahead of patients," said Alarcon. "These companies knowingly exposed children and other medically vulnerable groups to a potent carcinogen—then dismissed the danger for decades."
The complaint seeks compensatory and punitive damages and aims to bring public attention to the concealed risk of breast cancer to expand profits at the expense of patient safety.
If you or someone you know has developed breast cancer after taking Risperdal or Zyprexa, you may have a legal claim. Contact Wisner Baum to learn more or view the full complaint at http://www.wisnerbaum.com.
About Wisner Baum
Wisner Baum began with a simple but radical idea: that the law should serve people—not protect power. Since opening its doors in 1985, the firm has gone far beyond courtroom victories. Based in Los Angeles and known across the U.S., Wisner Baum has built its legacy by holding powerful corporations accountable — not just to win justice for individual clients, but to spark broader societal change.
Every case they take on — from catastrophic injuries and pharmaceutical failures to environmental toxicity and corporate negligence — is part of a bigger mission: to make the world safer, more just, and more transparent for everyone. With over $4 billion in verdicts and settlements, their legal victories have helped raise public awareness, influence regulations, and force industries to clean up harmful practices. Their work has become a catalyst for product safety reforms, food transparency, and medical accountability.
Wisner Baum isn't just a law firm. It's a movement for change—where justice isn't the end goal, but the beginning of a safer society.
Wisner Baum: Changing the System for Societal Change, One Case at a Time.
Learn more at https://www.wisnerbaum.com.
Reference:
1. T. Rahman, et al. Antipsychotic treatment in breast cancer patients, 171 AM. J. PSYCHIATRY, 616 (2014)
2. Press Release, U.S. Department of Justice, Johnson & Johnson to Pay More Than $2.2 Billion to Resolve Criminal and Civil Investigations (Nov. 4, 2013)
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