Ark. Judge Orders J&J to Pay $1.1 Billion in Risperdal Case

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - An Arkansas state judge has ordered Johnson & Johnson and its subsidiary to pay more than $1.1 billion after a jury determined that the drug makers downplayed and hid risks associated with the antipsychotic Risperdal. State of Arkansas v. Ortho-McNeil-Janssen Pharmaceuticals Inc., No. 07-15345 (Ark. Cir. Ct., Pulaski Cty.)

In the April 10 verdict, a 12-member jury sitting in the Pulaski County (Ark.) Circuit Court also found the companies' marketing campaign violated consumer protection laws. The panel deliberated for three hours before issuing the verdict.

Judge Timothy Fox ruled in an April 11 order that …