A new study released Aug. 19 in the Annals of Internal Medicine showed that risperidone, the generic version of the antipsychotic Risperdal, and two other drugs in its class have been linked to a higher risk for acute kidney injury, or AKI, in older patients being treated for behavioral symptoms of dementia.
The researchers were with the Canada-based Lawson Health Research Institute and the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences.
Dr. Amit Garg, one of the authors, who is also a Lawson scientist and a kidney specialist at the London Health Sciences Centre, put it this way in an Aug. 19 statement: “The results of this study call for a careful reevaluation of prescribing atypical antipsychotic drugs in older adults, especially for the unapproved indication of managing behavioural symptoms of dementia.”
Basically, when it comes to Risperdal, the news gets worse. Could Risperdal’s use in older patients become a source of litigation? Who knows at this point? What we do know is that Risperdal lawsuits have been filed in the U.S. because of the drug’s alleged link to gynecomastia, which is the development of female-like breasts in adolescent males who use the drug. Hundreds of such actions have been filed at a trial court in Philadelphia.
The Risperdal Litigation Team at the law firm of Reich & Binstock has been investigating these claims and has been offering free consultations to men and boys who used Risperdal and who were since diagnosed with gynecomastia.
One of the allegations at the center of these Risperdal lawsuits is the apparent failure to properly warn young males and their parents of the breast-development risk. The manufacturer, a Johnson & Johnson subsidiary, allegedly either knew or should have known about this risk. The evidence was there.
The Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology in April 2006 published an article that suggested the relationship between young male use of the drug and the elevation of prolactin blood levels, which can lead to gynecomastia.
Today, the prescribing information for Risperdal cites gynecomastia as one of the adverse reactions that researchers have seen.
Male Risperdal patients who were diagnosed with gynecomastia may be entitled to compensation for their injuries. The experienced product liability attorneys at Reich & Binstock want to help, no matter the state in which the patient lives, starting with a free consultation.
All one must do in order to get a free legal analysis is contact Reich & Binstock either by calling 713-622-7271 or by sending an electronic message through the law firm’s website.
