ClassAction.org is reporting that Janssen Pharmaceuticals Inc., a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson, has agreed to settle a Risperdal lawsuit in Montana for $5.9 million. The suit, brought against the company by Montana Attorney General Timothy C. Fox, alleges that the company illegally promoted Risperdal for off-label uses and marketed the antipsychotic drug as safe and effective, despite knowing that it could cause serious side effects.
Originally filed in 2008, the lawsuit alleged that Janssen promoted Risperdal as safe and effective, even though the company knew its antipsychotic drug could put patients at risk for serious side effects, such as diabetes, heart problems, and gynecomastia, a condition where boys develop abnormal breast tissue.
The settlement, announced on March 10, 2014, will provide millions of dollars worth of support to community programs in Montana. According to the state’s attorney general, about $1.5 million will go toward a new program aimed at preventing prescription drug abuse. An additional $1.5 million will contribute to funding mental health services and programs throughout the state. Furthermore, the state’s consumer protection education and enforcement departments will receive nearly $700,000, and the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services will be reimbursed for the Medicaid funds spent on Risperdal, amounting to more than $800,000.
In April 2012, a judge ordered Janssen to pay $1.2 billion to the state of Arkansas in a nearly identical lawsuit, The New York Times reported. In that suit, Janssen was found guilty of Medicaid fraud and was fined $5,000 for each of the 240,000 Risperdal prescriptions state Medicaid paid for during the previous three-and-a-half years. Furthermore, the company was fined $2,500 for each of the 4,500 letters it sent to doctors to promote the antipsychotic drug.
Hundreds of patients have also taken legal action against Janssen alleging that Risperdal is defective and unreasonably dangerous. According to these lawsuits, the drug can cause young boys to develop breasts, a condition known as gynecomastia, but the company failed to adequately warn patients and doctors about this risk.
If you or your son suffered from gynecomastia after using Risperdal, there is still time to file a lawsuit against Janssen seeking compensation for your losses. For more information about your potential legal rights, visit http://www.classaction.org/risperdal today.
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