Pa. Jury Awards Risperdal Plaintiffs $2.5 Million in Compensatory Damages

PHILADELPHIA — A Pennsylvania state jury has awarded the family of an autistic man $2.5 million in compensatory damages after finding that Risperdal maker Janssen Pharmaceuticals Inc. failed to adequately warn him that the antipsychotic drug can cause hormonal imbalances and breast growth, sources tell HarrisMartin.

The Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas jury returned the verdict on Feb. 24 after a nearly month-long trial. Judge Ramy Djerassi presided over the trial, which began on Jan. 26.

The plaintiffs alleged that their son, now 20, was prescribed Risperdal “off-label” when he was 8 to treat his autism. They contend that the …