Risperdal was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1993 to treat adults suffering from schizophrenia, acute manic or mixed episodes associated with bipolar disorder, and irritability linked to autism. In 2006, it was approved for the use in treatment of children with behavior and mental health disorders.
That same year, a study published in the Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology found that Risperdal can significantly elevate prolactin levels in young patients. Elevated levels of the hormone can cause the development of breasts as a result of a condition called gynecomastia.
While many Risperdal gynecomastia victims may have first learned of the link between Risperdal and breast growth when the study was published, this was not news to Janssen Pharmaceuticals, a division of Johnson & Johnson. In fact, Janssen Pharmaceuticals was well aware of the connection between Risperdal and gynecomastia when the company started marketing the drug for pediatric use, according to U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder.
Adolescent males who developed gynecomastia from Risperdal may be eligible to file a Risperdal lawsuit against Johnson & Johnson and Janssen Pharmaceuticals for failure to warn about the side effects of Risperdal.

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