A Risperdal plaintiff who saw his lawsuit initially stopped due to a health issue on the part of a jurist, and then thrown out by the judge on the second try has filed a motion requesting a new trial. He claims that his use of Risperdal caused him to develop gynecomastia, a condition characterized by the abnormal growth of female breast tissue in men.
The initial trial began in mid-March, only to be declared a mistrial March 27 following the health emergency of a jury member. The trial started again with a new jury at the beginning of April, but was dismissed at the request of defendant Janssen Pharmaceuticals, which argued that the evidence did not show any link between Risperdal and the plaintiff’s condition. The five-page motion post-trial motion filed last week asks for a new trial, stating that the plaintiff had more than met his evidentiary burden and the case should have been permitted to proceed.
What is Risperdal?
Risperdal is an anti-psychotic drug first approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1993 to treat adults with schizophrenia. Between 2006 and 2007, the FDA approved additional uses for Risperdal, including the treatment of bipolar disorder in adults and juveniles, schizophrenia in children, and certain behavioral symptoms in children with autism.
Several serious side effects have been associated with Risperdal use, including:
Multiple lawsuits have been filed against Janssen alleging that the company failed to adequately warn consumers about the serious potential side effects associated with Risperdal use, particularly gynecomastia. Surgery is often required to correct gynecomastia, although liposuction can be effective in removing excess breast tissue in mild to moderate cases. In more severe cases, patients may need a mastectomy to remove breast tissue and excess breast skin.
