Did you suffer from a serious health problem because of the drug Risperdal®? If not you, do you have a loved one who suffered because of this medication? If the answer is yes to either question, our legal team at Sumner Law Group, LLC urges you to call our office as soon as possible, as we are currently handling personal injury legal actions against the maker of Risperdal. The U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently brought light to a very serious issue. In news announcements released on November 4, 2013, these government agencies noted that the manufacturer of Risperdal (Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc., or JPI) admitted in a criminal plea deal to misbranding the drug by presenting it to health care professionals as a possible treatment for the symptoms of dementia in elderly patients. One of the main issues with this action is the fact that Risperdal was only approved by the FDA for use on schizophrenia patients and patients with Bipolar 1 Disorder.
While JPI only admitted to the specific violation mentioned above, the FDA and the Department of Justice described various allegations they have made against the company concerning Risperdal. Those actions include the following:
- Being aware of the threats to elderly patients' health caused by Risperdal (i.e., higher risk of stroke), but marketing the drug for this age group anyways
- Encouraging sales representatives to make sales of Risperdal for off-label uses through incentives such as bonuses
- Providing misleading data about Risperdal, specifically by merging negative data about the drug with data from other studies, thus making it seem as if the drug was associated with lower health risks
- Also previously marketing the drug for behaviorally challenged children and certain mentally disabled individuals when these were not FDA-approved target groups
JPI has already agreed to pay more than $1.67 billion because of the Risperdal-related allegations that have been made against the company. (This includes a fine of $400 million from the plea deal and a settlement of $1.25 billion from a civil case.) The pharmaceutical company could end up being forced to pay even more money as injured patients speak out and take legal action for the wrongful injuries they have endured. Do not hesitate to contact our firm for assistance if you, too, are a victim of Risperdal. We are experienced with cases involving dangerous drugs, as well as cases involving other personal injury matters.