Another Risperdal Lawsuit Settlement Announced in Pennsylvania Gynecomastia Litigation, Bernstein Liebhard LLP Reports

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Jan 11, 2017, 09:56 ET

NEW YORK, Jan. 11, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Another Risperdal settlement has been announced in a gynecomastia lawsuit that is part of the mass tort litigation now underway in Pennsylvania's Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas. Court records indicate that the case was scheduled to go to trial on Monday, January 9^th, but was resolved on Friday, January 6^th. Terms of the settlement are confidential. (Case No. 130402100)

The case was initially filed in April 2013 by the family of a New York boy who allegedly developed female-like breasts after taking Risperdal for nearly a decade. When the young man began treatment with the antipsychotic medication, it had not yet been approved for use in children. The labeling also indicated that gynecomastia was a rare complication that affected only about 1 in 1,000 patients. The prescribing information was eventually updated to state that there was a 2.3% rate of the condition in adolescents treated with Risperdal.

"This is good news for this Risperdal plaintiff. However, the settlement only applies to a single case. The Risperdal gynecomastia litigation is far from over, as thousands of such lawsuits remain to be resolved," said Sandy A. Liebhard, a partner at Bernstein Liebhard LLP, a nationwide law firm representing the victims of defective drugs and medical devices. The Firm continues to provide free legal reviews to men and boys who allegedly experienced excessive breast growth due to their use of the antipsychotic medication.

Risperdal Gynecomastia Verdicts & Settlements

More than 2,300 Risperdal lawsuits are now pending in the Pennsylvania mass tort proceeding. Plaintiffs claim that Johnson & Johnson and its Janssen Pharmaceuticals unit concealed data linking Risperdal to gynecomastia, and failed to provide doctors and patients with appropriate warnings regarding this risk. They also claim that the companies wrongly marketed Risperdal for use in children long before U.S. regulators approved the drug for any pediatric indications.

So far, the majority of gynecomastia trials convened in Pennsylvania have ended with verdicts favoring plaintiffs. The most recent case that concluded in July with $70 million awarded to a teenager who experienced excessive breast growth shortly after he began taking the drug at the age of five. (Case No. No. 130402094)

The Pennsylvania litigation's first gynecomastia trial ended in February 2015, with the jury awarding that plaintiff $2.5 million. (Case No. A-196444) A month later, another jury declined to award a second plaintiff any damages, after determining that there was not enough evidence to conclude that Risperdal had caused his breast growth. However, they did find that the safety warnings provided to patients and doctors were inadequate. (Case No. 130301803) In November 2015, a third gynecomastia plaintiff was awarded $1.75 million, although the Court later reduced the verdict to $680,000. (Case No. 130401990) A fourth Risperdal trial ended in December 2015 with a verdict for the plaintiff in the amount of $500,000. (Case No. 130401984)

Just last month, the judge presiding over the state's sixth Risperdal gynecomastia trial dismissed the case at its mid-point due to insufficient evidence.

Risperdal patients who experienced the growth of female-like breasts while using the medication may be able to pursue a lawsuit of their own. To learn more, please contact Bernstein Liebhard LLP by visiting the Firm's website, or by calling 800-511-5092.

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. As a national law firm, Bernstein Liebhard LLP possesses all of the legal and financial resources required to successfully challenge billion dollar pharmaceutical and medical device companies. As a result, our attorneys and legal staff have been able to recover more than $3.5 billion on behalf of our clients. Bernstein Liebhard LLP is honored to once again be named to The National Law Journal's "Plaintiffs' Hot List," recognizing the top plaintiffs firms in the country. This year's nomination marks the thirteenth year the firm has been named to this prestigious annual list.

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Contact Information:
Sandy A. Liebhard, Esq.
Bernstein Liebhard LLP
info (at)consumerinjurylawyers(dot)com
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