Amanda Antell  |  July 24, 2014

Category: Legal News

Top Class Actions’s website and social media posts use affiliate links. If you make a purchase using such links, we may receive a commission, but it will not result in any additional charges to you. Please review our Affiliate Link Disclosure for more information.

Risperdal side effectsCalifornia plaintiff Andrew Wasserman filed a Risperdal lawsuit against Johnson & Johnson subsidiary Janssen Pharmaceuticals for the injuries he allegedly sustained from their antipsychotic drug.

Wasserman had been prescribed Risperdal when he was 20, and had reportedly developed gynecomastia, also known as male breast growth as a result. He was first prescribed Risperdal in 2008 to treat his mental disorder and had stayed on the medication even after he started developing male breast growth or man boobs, according to his Risperdal lawsuit.

The breast development occurred in 2011, and the surgery to remove them occurred soon after. He stayed on the medication until 2013, because he did not know that Risperdal was the cause.

In addition to the gynecomastia, Wasserman claims that he experienced intense pain and swelling in his chest, testicular shrinkage, erectile dysfunction, and other sexual function damages. He also reportedly suffered anxiety, depression, and his relationship with his wife suffered.

According to his Risperdal gynecomastia lawsuit, Wasserman still suffers from many of these conditions, and is suing the defendants for fraudulent and negligent marketing.

Wasserman alleges that the defendant company had misrepresented Risperdal as a safe and effective treatment for schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, when in fact they knew that the drug could possibly cause dangerous Risperdal side effects. This includes Risperdal complications such as gynecomastia, erectile dysfunction, infertility, and other sexual complications in men.

Wasserman accuses Janssen of marketing and selling Risperdal for unapproved purposes, in treating extreme mental disorders in pediatric and adolescent patients, when the drug was not approved for these purposes until ten years after the drug was released. It has also been alleged that the defendant paid kickbacks to doctors and pharmacists for recommending this drug to patients.

Overview of Risperdal Complications

Risperdal was first approved in 1993 to treat schizophrenia in adults. While it is not illegal for doctors to prescribe a drug or medication for an off-label purpose, it is illegal for drug companies to promote them for unapproved purposes.

When the drug was finally approved to treat children in 2007, it soon became one of the most popular antipsychotics prescribed in America. Its popularity stems from its aggressive treatment method, in leveling the brain’s dopamine levels, which controls the brain’s pleasure and reward sensations.

Patients have praised the drug for having less severe emotional side effects compared to most antipsychotics. However, Risperdal has become the center of medical controversy among the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the public, in the midst of accusations against the manufacturing companies.

The U.S. Department of Justice and other various state attorney generals investigated Janssen after numerous patients had reported abnormal breast development.

From 2010 to 2013, the Department of Justice discovered evidence that the company illegally marketed Risperdal for unapproved uses. As a result, Janssen was fined more than $2.2 billion to settle federal and state charges of false marketing and negligence.

This Risperdal Lawsuit is Andrew and Mary Wasserman v. Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Case No. 3:14-cv-02739-JCS, in the U.S. District Court of Northern California, San Francisco Division.

In general, Risperdal lawsuits are filed individually by each plaintiff and are not class actions.

Do YOU have a legal claim? Fill out the form on this page now for a free, immediate, and confidential case evaluation. The attorneys who work with Top Class Actions will contact you if you qualify to let you know if an individual lawsuit or class action lawsuit is best for you. Hurry — statutes of limitations may apply.

Learn More

We tell you about cash you can claim EVERY WEEK! Sign up for our free newsletter.


Get Help – It’s Free

Join a Free Risperdal Class Action Lawsuit Investigation

If you or your son took Risperdal between the ages of 10 and 18 years old and suffered gynecomastia (male breast growth), male breast pain, nipple pain, or nipple discharge, you may be entitled to compensation. See if you qualify by submitting your information below for a free and confidential case review.

An attorney will contact you if you qualify to discuss the details of your potential case at no charge to you.

Oops! We could not locate your form.

Please note: Top Class Actions is not a settlement administrator or law firm. Top Class Actions is a legal news source that reports on class action lawsuits, class action settlements, drug injury lawsuits and product liability lawsuits. Top Class Actions does not process claims and we cannot advise you on the status of any class action settlement claim. You must contact the settlement administrator or your attorney for any updates regarding your claim status, claim form or questions about when payments are expected to be mailed out.