In the first Risperdal case to go to trial, a Philadelphia jury in February awarded $2.5 million against the drug maker.
The jury concluded that the manufacturer negligently failed to warn the plaintiff and his family about the risk of abnormal breast growth associated with the medication.
Plaintiff Austin Pledger used Risperdal for five years beginning at age 7 to treat autism. At the time, the FDA had not approved Risperdal to treat adolescent patients. Attorneys for the plaintiff presented evidence, however, that J&J sales representatives visited Pledger’s pediatrician on multiple occasions to provide samples of the drug. The company previously agreed to settle criminal and civil penalties relating to its off-label promotion of Risperdal and other medications.
(Reference: Pledger et al. v. Janssen Pharmaceuticals Inc. et al., case no. 120401997, Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas)
In a second Risperdal trial in March, the jury similarly found that J&J was negligent in its failure to warn about the risks of gynecomastia in young males. The jury did not award damages, however, because it did not find sufficient evidence that the medication caused breast growth in the plaintiff’s case.
(Reference: Cirba et al v. Janssen Pharmaceuticals Inc., case no. 130301803, Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas)
With two consecutive findings of negligence against the manufacturer, additional jury awards may be forthcoming as Risperdal trials continue.