Wisner Baum, a law firm known for battling Big Pharma in the name of public safety, has filed a lawsuit alleging Johnson & Johnson and Eli Lilly knowingly concealed breast cancer risks linked to their antipsychotic drugs—Risperdal (risperidone) and Zyprexa (olanzapine)—for decades, all while profiting billions from their sales.
ALAMEDA, Calif., July 28, 2025 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- A new lawsuit filed by Wisner Baum LLC alleges that pharmaceutical giants Eli Lilly and Johnson & Johnson knowingly concealed the risk of breast cancer associated with their blockbuster antipsychotic drugs, Zyprexa and Risperdal. The complaint, brought on behalf of Bridgett Brown, a California woman who developed breast cancer after taking the drugs for many years, accuses the companies of fraud, failure to warn, and negligence.
Research has established a connection between elevated prolactin and breast cancer since the 1970s, with studies dating back to the 1990s confirming that atypical antipsychotics cause hyperprolactinemia, which can lead to breast cancer.
Wisner Baum attorney Conor Kennedy explains, "Decades of studies prove that the causal relationship between elevated prolactin levels (hyperprolactinemia) and breast cancer is undisputed. Today, the literature shows that hyperprolactinemia is common, and severe, among users of these drugs. Reports show incidence rates reaching 70% to 76.4% for Olanzapine (1) and 94.8% for Risperdal. (2)"
Profits Over Patient Care
According to the 36-page complaint, the companies disregarded internal data for more than two decades showing that their products significantly elevated prolactin — a hormone proven to promote breast tumors. Rather than issue appropriate safety warnings, the lawsuit claims the companies concealed clinical trial data, obfuscated the risk of breast cancer observed in the available scientific literature, and aggressively promoted the drugs to new—and often vulnerable—populations.
The complaint also alleges that the companies marketed the drugs for unapproved, off-label uses, including treatment for childhood attention-deficit disorders (ADHD), dementia in the elderly, and generalized "mood stabilization,"—despite the availability of safer and more effective alternatives such as Abilify (aripiprazole), Clozaril (clozapine), Geodon (ziprasidone), and Seroquel (quetiapine), which are available and do not pose the same risks.
"This case is about accountability," said Monique Alarcon, attorney at Wisner Baum. "Using the same deceptive patterns that have worked in the past, the defendants put profits over patient safety—marketing their drugs as safe while burying data showing a clear link to breast cancer."
"Had our client or her prescribing physicians been properly informed by the drug makers of breast cancer risk, she would not have taken these medications or would have sought safer alternatives," said Alarcon. Ms. Brown was diagnosed with breast cancer in approximately 2024 and continues to suffer physical injury, emotional distress, and related consequences.
A Well Known and Avoidable Risk
Studies dating back to the 1990s confirm that atypical antipsychotics elevate prolactin levels significantly, leading to an alarmingly increased risk of breast cancer among users of high-prolactin drugs.
"The science has been clear for decades," said Alarcon. "These companies had a legal and ethical duty to inform patients and doctors—and they failed. Now individuals nationwide are suffering the consequences. We intend to hold them accountable."
Despite this evidence, these drugmakers issued no safety warnings and have stated that "neither clinical trials nor epidemiological studies conducted to date have shown an association between chronic administration of this class of drugs and tumorigenesis in humans," according to the complaint.
Marketing Antipsychotics to the Vulnerable, Lawsuit Alleges
Initially approved for treating schizophrenia, which affects less than 1% of the population, these drugs were not profitable—until, the lawsuit alleges, the companies broadened their marketing campaigns to target children and the elderly.
"They turned schizophrenia drugs into multi-billion-dollar blockbusters by targeting them on our most vulnerable populations—while failing to warn about a breast cancer risk they should have known of for years," said Alarcon.
Wisner Baum Urges Victims to Come Forward in Pharma Case
The case, Brown v. Johnson & Johnson et al. (Case No. 25CV119808), seeks compensatory and punitive damages, alleging strict liability, negligence, and fraud.
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.
References
1. D. Lecic-Tosevski & M. Milosavljevic, Community Mental Health Care in Serbia: Development and Perspectives, 2 Consortium Psychiatry., 81 (2021). https://doi.org/10.17816/CP77; T.C. Chopko & C.W. Lindsley, Classics in Chemical Neuroscience: Risperidone, 9 ACS Chem Neurosci 1520-9 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1021/acschemneuro.8b00159.
2. M. Wudarsky, et al. Elevated Prolactin in Pediatric Patients on Typical and Atypical Antipsychotics, 9 J. Child & Adolescent. Psychopharmacology, 239 (1999), https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10630453/.
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