$181 Million Settlement Announced in Risperdal Marketing Suit

Janssen Pharmaceuticals, a division of Johnson & Johnson, announced yesterday that it reached a $181 million consumer fraud settlement with 36 states and the District of Columbia over its marketing of the antipsychotic Risperdal (risperidone). State and federal authorities had said that Janssen promoted the drug for uses for which it was not approved, including dementia in elderly patients, bipolar disorder in children and adolescents, depression, and anxiety disorders. Prosecutors also accused the company of minimizing or concealing risks associated with the drug.

In a statement, Janssen said the settlement is not an admission of wrongdoing or violation of any law or regulation. Rather, it agreed to the settlement to resolve claims of the attorneys general about violations of state consumer-protection laws and to “avoid unnecessary expense and a prolonged legal process.”

"We have chosen this path to achieve a prompt and full resolution of these state claims and to ensure we continue to focus on our mission of providing medicines to meet the significant unmet needs of many people who suffer from mental illness,” said company President Michael Yang.

For more information about the lawsuit see Psychiatric News here and here.

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