Risperdal Lawsuit News: Testimony Raises Questions About Adherence to Pediatric Dosing Guidelines By Doctors Prescribing Antipsychotic Drugs, Bernstein Liebhard LLP Reports

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Oct 15, 2014, 12:17 ET

NEW YORK, Oct. 15, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- As Risperdal lawsuits (http://www.risperdallawsuitcenter.com/) continue to mount in U.S. courts, a hearing recently held in Vermont is raising serious questions about the adherence to pediatric dosing guidelines by doctors who prescribe antipsychotic drugs like Risperdal to children, Bernstein Liebhard LLP reports. According to Dr. David C. Rettew, Director of the Pediatric Psychiatry Clinic at University of Vermont's College of Medicine, a recent survey revealed that doctors in that state followed antipsychotic prescribing guidelines set by the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) about 51% of the time. During testimony before Vermont's Mental Health Oversight Committee on September 23^rd, Dr. Rettew also noted that the same survey found that the state's physicians only followed the U.S. Food & Drug Administration's (FDA) recommendations on prescribing antipsychotics to children about 27% of the time.

"Dr. Rettew's remarks are concerning, as Risperdal and other antipsychotics are often associated with very serious side effects. In fact, dozens of Risperdal lawsuits that allege the drug caused gynecomastia, or male breast growth, are currently moving through U.S. courts. Many of these cases were filed on behalf of plaintiffs who were prescribed the medication as boys," 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 young men and boys who allegedly developed Risperdal due to their use of the antipsychotic medication.

Risperdal Lawsuits

Risperdal was brought to market in the late 1990s, but was only approved for pediatric uses in 2006. Currently, the drug is indicated for the treatment of 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. The medication is also sometimes prescribed for off-label uses, including the treatment of ADHD in children.

According to court documents, more than 700 Risperdal lawsuits have been filed in a consolidated litigation in the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas in Pennsylvania on behalf of plaintiffs who allegedly suffered gynecomastia and other serious side effects due to their use of the medication. They further allege that Johnson & Johnson and its Janssen Pharmaceuticals unit concealed the drug's risks, including the association between Risperdal and male breast growth. The companies are also accused of improperly marketing Risperdal for off-label uses, including certain pediatric indications. The litigation's first trial involving a gynecomastia claim is scheduled to go to trial on November 3, 2014. (In Re: Risperdal Litigation, Case Number 100300296)

According to an announcement issued by the U.S. Department of Justice on November 4, 2013, Johnson & Johnson and Janssen have agreed to pay $2.2 billion to settle charges that they improperly marketed Risperdal and other medications. Under the terms of the settlement, the companies pled guilty to a criminal misdemeanor charge over the illegal marketing of Risperdal for use in elderly dementia patients. However, they did not admit wrongdoing in resolving civil charges over the alleged marketing of the drug for pediatric uses.

Men and boys who developed gynecomastia allegedly due to Risperdal may be entitled to pursue legal action against the manufacturers of the medication. Learn more about filing a Risperdal lawsuit by visiting Bernstein Liebhard LLP's website. To arrange for a free case review, please contact the Firm directly by calling (888) 340-4807.

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, including those who have been harmed by dangerous drugs, defective medical devices and consumer products. 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 the list was first published in 2003.

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SOURCE Bernstein Liebhard LLP