Johnson & Johnson Reaches Settlement For Misleading Schizophrenia Drugs Practices

It was announced on November 4, 2013 that Johnson & Johnson is ordered to pay $2.2 billion a settlement involving the schizophrenia drugs Risperdal and Invega. This penalty is one of the largest health care related settlements in the country, says the Justice Department.

Arkansas was paid $1.2 billion in fines from Johnson & Johnson in 2011 for deceptive marketing and making false claims about the drug Risperdal. The FDA approved Risperdal to treat schizophrenia, however it was marketed to doctors and nursing homes as a treatment for elderly patients with dementia.

In addition to falsely marketing the drug, Johnson & Johnson was aware that patients on Risperdal were at an increased risk for developing diabetes, yet never publicly disclosed that information, according to the settlement. The drug was encouraged in nursing homes by way of paid pharmacists being sent to nursing homes to review patient records.

"Although consultant pharmacists purported to provide 'independent' recommendations based on their clinical judgment, J&J viewed the pharmacists as an 'extension of [J&J's] sales force,'" said the Justice Department. General Eric Holder said kickbacks and other incentives could have put the "health of some patients at risk."

The consequences of pharmaceutical and medical product negligence can result in catastrophic injuries, emotional and financial hardships for the victim and their family, and death. If you have sustained injury, or if a loved one was killed, as the result of negligence by a pharmaceutical or medical product company, you and your family may qualify for compensation. Contact the Defective Product Attorneys of The Glassman Law Firm at 314-446-6000 to discuss your legal rights and options.