Risperdal Lawsuits Progress in Pennsylvania, as Court Approves New Amended Short Form Complaint, Bernstein Liebhard LLP Reports
New York, NY (PRWEB) November 05, 2014 -- Risperdal lawsuits (http://www.risperdallawsuit2014.com/) that allege the antipsychotic drug caused patients to develop gynecomastia (male breast growth) and other serious side effects continue to move forward in a mass tort litigation now underway in Pennsylvania’s Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas, Bernstein Liebhard LLP reports. According to an Order dated October 29th, the Court has approved the use of a new Amended Short Form Complaint, which is to be used by plaintiffs who file Risperdal claims in the proceeding on or after November 1, 2014. The new Complaint now requires plaintiffs to affirmatively indicate whether or not they intend to pursue claims against Excerpta Medica, Inc. and Elsevier, Inc. (In Re: Risperdal Litigation, Case Number 100300296).
“Our Firm is pleased to see this litigation moving forward, as we are representing many plaintiffs who have Risperdal gynecomastia claims pending in this proceeding,” 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 Litigation
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*. Research also indicates that off- label use of Risperdal to treat ADHD is also on the rise.**
According to court documents, more than 900 Risperdal lawsuits have been filed in the Pennsylvania proceeding on behalf of patients who allegedly developed gynecomastia and other serious side effects due to their use of the medication. Among other things, the lawsuits claim that Johnson & Johnson and Janssen Pharmaceuticals concealed the link between Risperdal and male breast growth, and of improperly marketing the drug for off-label uses, including certain pediatric indications prior to their regulatory approval.
One year ago this month, the U.S. Department of Justice announced that Johnson & Johnson and Janssen had agreed to pay $2.2 billion to resolve criminal and civil charges stemming from their marketing of Risperdal and other drugs. According to court documents filed in the case, the Justice Department had also charged that the company concealed side effects associated with the medication, including an association between Risperdal and elevated levels of prolactin, a hormone linked to the development of gynecomastia. The companies were also accused of marketing Risperdal for off-label pediatric uses. (U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, 04-cv-1529)
Alleged victims of Risperdal and gynecomastia may be entitled to compensation for medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and more. 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.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2009/020272s056,020588s044,021346s033,021444s03lbl.pdf, Risperdal Prescribing Information, FDA, 2009
**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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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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