Risperdal is atypical antipsychotic that changes the effect of brain chemicals. The U.S. Department of Justice said that the makers of Risperdal illegally marketed drug to children. According to a former Johnson and Johnson sales manager, the company didn’t wait to obtain FDA approval before promoting its use for children.
During a Risperdal trial in Pennsylvania, a Johnson and Johnson sales manager admitted that the company trained salespeople to promote Risperdal to children as early as 2003. This was despite the fact that the drug was not approved for use by children.
This has led to a growing number of lawsuits against the company by several men who took the drug when they were children and developed male breasts, a condition known as Gynecomastia. Over the past few years, juries have awarded $2.5 million, $1.75 million, and $500,000 in cases filed in a Pennsylvania state court. Several other cases are expected to move forward in the next few months.