Risperdal verdicts and lawsuit settlements have been piling up since 2012 after consumers learned that Johnson & Johnson had been marketing the drug outside of its approved use.
Of course, prescription drugs help millions of people every day. But they come with costly side effects. When manufacturers don’t disclose the worst side effects—or illegally market a drug to broaden the base of buyers—consumers get hurt. In addition, some injuries are, unfortunately, irreparable.
Take a look at our infographic for the straight facts as well as the numbers, which includes data straight from Johnson & Johnson’s financial reports. Notably, this infographic reveals the fortune Johnson & Johnson has lost—and also made—on Americans’ mental health struggles.
Taken directly from the above infographic:
Risperdal, a drug first made to help patients fight schizophrenia, subsequently made a fortune around the globe. But lawsuits claim that Johnson & Johnson’s drug arm called Janssen Pharmaceutical illegally marketed the drug for underage patients with a wide spectrum of illnesses for which it had not been properly tested. Since then, several Risperdal verdicts have been ruled in favor of plaintiffs.
Here’s the fortune Risperdal has made, as well as the fortune it has lost from litigation.
Total Risperdal Verdicts Against Johnson & Johnson During 2012-2016
The following data represents cases claiming injuries related to Risperdal. Some of these cases are brought by states, while others come from families or individuals. These cases all claim that J&J used false, misrepresentative, or other illegal marketing tactics in order to sell more Risperdal.
- $158,000,000
- Johnson & Johnson lost a civil lawsuit to the state of Texas in January 2012 due to “improper marketing.”
- $181,000,000
- Johnson & Johnson settled with 36 states at once in cases against its promotional and marketing practices.
- $2,200,000,000
- In 2013, the Justice Department sued Johnson & Johnson for marketing Risperdal to doctors for children as well as the elderly, which it did not have clearance to do.
- $5,900,000
- The state of Montana sued Johnson & Johnson for false claims and then won a verdict in March 2014.
- $2,500,000
- In 2015, the family of an autistic boy won a lawsuit after their son developed size 46 DD breasts while taking Risperdal.
- $7,500,000
- During the first verdict, an Arkansas jury originally granted a family $1.2 billion. The Arkansas Supreme Court then reduced the sentence to $7.5 million in May 2015.
- $1,750,000
- A Philadelphia boy took Risperdal from 2003 to 2008 in order to treat his autism spectrum disorder. He later grew breasts and endured severe bullying. For this reason, a jury decided in his favor in November 2015.
- $124,000,000
- The US Supreme Court reduced the sentence on a South Carolina civil suit from $327 million to $124 million during an appeals trial in January 2016.
- Total: $2,680,650,000
- Johnson & Johnson has paid at least $2.68 billion to settle claims of false advertising and negligent behavior. However, the lawsuits aren’t over yet.
Despite Lawsuits, Risperdal Annual Profits Keep Rising
Now you have an idea of how Risperdal lawsuits fared during the four-year period from 2012 and 2016. Next, let’s take a look at the available financial data provided in Johnson & Johnson’s Investor Report for each year between 2003 and 2014 to see why the company continues to manufacture a drug at the center of so much litigation.
| 2003 | $2.512B |
| 2004 | $3.05B |
| 2005 | $3.552B |
| 2006 | $4.183B |
| 2007 | $2.2B |
| 2008 | $1.309B |
| 2009 | $1.425B |
| 2010 | $1.5B |
| 2011 | $1.583B |
| 2012 | $1.425B |
| 2013 | $1.318B |
| 2014 | $1.19B |
If you or someone you loved has suffered severe side effects, including gynecomastia, due to Risperdal, you may qualify to file a Risperdal lawsuit.
Sources, which we accessed from Feb 25 to 26, 2016:
- http://scholar.aci.info/view/149cddfb6304e24013c/152375c142500010008
- http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/175-million-jury-verdict-awarded-in-risperdal-antipsychotic-lawsuit-sheller-pc-plaintiff-alleged-drug-caused-female-like-breast-development-300176381.html
- http://www.fiercepharma.com/story/jj-nears-75m-deal-risperdal-case-could-have-cost-12b/2015-05-19
- http://blogs.wsj.com/pharmalot/2015/02/24/johnson-johnson-loses-trial-over-risperdal-and-male-breasts/
- http://www.thenationaltriallawyers.org/2014/03/risperdal-lawsuit-montana-5-9-million-settlement/
- http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/johnson-johnson-pay-more-22-billion-resolve-criminal-and-civil-investigations
- https://www.jnj.com/news/all/janssen-pharmaceuticals-inc-announces-risperdal-consumer-protection-settlement-with-36-states-and-the-district-of-columbia
- http://www.reuters.com/article/us-johnsonandjohnson-idUSTRE80I1JF20120119
- http://articles.philly.com/2012-09-01/business/33522312_1_risperdal-case-johnson-johnson-federal-investigation
- http://www.ag.ny.gov/press-release/ag-schneiderman-settles-181-million-deceptive-marketing-case-janssen-pharmaceuticals
- http://www.investor.jnj.com/gov/annualmeetingmaterials.cfm
Lori Polemenakos is Director of Consumer Content and SEO strategist for LeadingResponse, a legal marketing company. An award-winning journalist, writer and editor based in Dallas, Texas, she's produced articles for major brands such as Match.com, Yahoo!, MSN, AOL, Xfinity, Mail.com, and edited several published books. Since 2016, she's published hundreds of articles about Social Security disability, workers' compensation, veterans' benefits, personal injury, mass tort, auto accident claims, bankruptcy, employment law and other related legal issues.