Johnson & Johnson ordered to pay $8B in drug harm case
Johnson & Johnson was hit with an $8 billion judgment and ordered to pay a Maryland man after the company failed to sufficiently warn users that its antipsychotic drug Risperdal could cause breast growth in men.
J&J, a medical device, pharmaceutical and consumer packaged goods company, has more than 13,000 lawsuits against it over Risperdal, which has allegedly caused enlargement of breast tissue in boys known as gynecomastia, The Wall Street Journal reported. The $8 billion order is the largest award to date of the suits.
The judgment comes at an expensive time for J&J, which was also ordered to pay $572 million to the state of Oklahoma over the company’s role in the opioid overdose and abuse crisis there. J&J was also ordered to pay $4.7 billion in damages to 22 women and their families who developed ovarian cancer as a result of the company's talcum powder. The company is appealing both rulings but agreed to pay more than $20 million to settle two lawsuits out of Ohio over its role in the opioid epidemic.
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Amy joined TriMed Media as a Senior Writer for HealthExec after covering home care for three years. When not writing about all things healthcare, she fulfills her lifelong dream of becoming a pirate by sailing in regattas and enjoying rum. Fun fact: she sailed 333 miles across Lake Michigan in the Chicago Yacht Club "Race to Mackinac."