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Risperdal Lawsuit

Number eight on the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies, colossal health care company Johnson & Johnson has plead guilty to charges filed against them regarding allegations of illegal promotion of their antipsychotic drugs for treatment of conditions that were not approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), particularly for the elderly who have dementia and children.

Based on the press release from the Department of Justice dated November 4, 2013, the antipsychotic drug Risperdal was not approved by the FDA as treatment for treatment of dementia, and has only limited uses for children. The charges also include allegation of Johnson & Johnson having a large payoff from physicians and from Omnicare Inc. (largest market for nursing homes who heavily marketed the sale and use of the antipsychotic drug Risperdal and Invega).

According to the plaintiffs of the lawsuits, Johnson & Johnson has concealed evidences of their drug causing their patients to develop gynecomastia (a condition where males develop breast and milk production), aside from improperly marketing the drug for children use. Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceuticals has yet to admit their fault, which could put them in a compromising situation with the ongoing lawsuits. The company, however, has agreed to pay US$ 2.2 million dollars for misbranding Risperdal for lawsuits of issues not indicated in their label. This is so far the largest amount paid by a company for penalties regarding healthcare fraud.

If you believe you have been a victim of the side effects of Risperdal, you may have a right for compensation provided you can prove that: first, the injury is due to the side effects from taking Risperdal, second that the drug that was prescribed to you have taken had adverse side effects that you were not made aware of (whether by the doctor, manufacturer, or pharmacy), and lastly, that the medication is the direct cause of the injury.