Judge Tosses Risperdal Suit

Johnson & Johnson has prevailed in a Pennsylvania case over its antipsychotic drug Risperdal. A Philadelphia judge tossed the suit against the drugmaker, which claimed that J&J's Janssen Pharmaceutica unit buried the drug's safety risks to persuade the state to spend millions to provide it to patients covered by government-funded health programs.

Judge Frederica Massiah-Jackson decreed that the state hadn't produced enough evidence to show that Janssen marketed Risperdal improperly, despite a week's worth of testimony in the case. Pennsylvania had sued to recover $289 million in alleged overspending on the antipsychotic drug.

As Bloomberg notes, the Pennsylvania case was the first of 10 state-government suits over Risperdal marketing to go before a jury. The company is also fighting hundreds of patient lawsuits that advance similar claims: that Janssen soft-pedaled Risperdal's risks and exaggerated its benefits.

"We're pleased with the judge's decision," J&J spokesman Greg Panico said. "The evidence presented by plaintiffs failed to demonstrate that Janssen had committed any fraud on the Commonwealth. Janssen has always been committed to ethical business practices.

Full Article and Source:
Philly Judge Tosses Risperdal Fraud Suit