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View Full Version : Risperdal drug maker faces $1B in lawsuits, yet mother charged for refusing use on



ktlight
16th August 2011, 07:52
FYI:

What irony. Detroit mother, Maryanne Godboldo, was just charged with child neglect for refusing to obey a Child Protective Services order to give her daughter Risperdal, a powerful psychoactive drug. Meanwhile federal and multiple state prosecutors are suing Johnson & Johnson for deceptively marketing the drug - including mismarketing its use on children - and hiding dangerous adverse effects. J&J now faces a potential $1 billion in damages.

Having earlier observed the drug's dreadful effects on her child, Maryanne was correctly pursuing holistic treatment for the child instead when the legal battle began. The jury's ruling, now handed down against the mother, is not only a travesty of justice, but a reflection of psychopharma's vast propaganda machine. (http://www.naturalnews.com/033295_p...)

Fortunately not everyone is fooled. The US Department of Justice (DOJ) has been investigating J&J for years in regards Risperdal - its sales practices, pay-offs to doctors to promote the drug, and failures to disclose harmful effects. The pharma giant has now tentatively agreed to settle a misdemeanor criminal charge, however the DOJ and US attorney's office are pursuing additional criminal actions.

The government plans to join civil lawsuits filed by company whistleblowers, aiming to recover millions of dollars paid for prescriptions via government health programs like Medicare and Medicaid.

Already multimillions in fines have been levied against J&J for this powerful antipsychotic which is widely prescribed not only for schizophrenia but mood and anxiety disorders, dementia and other unapproved uses.

In June, a South Carolina judge demanded the company pay $327 million to the state for deceptively marketing Risperdal and concealing its dangers. The judge called J&J's practices "detestable." Last October, a Louisiana jury ordered the company to ante up $257.7 million for misleading claims about the drug's safety.

Recently, Massachusetts Attorney General joined the fight, filing a lawsuit against J&J for illegal marketing and failing to disclose "an increased risk of death" connected with the drug.

In Texas the Attorney General Office has joined forces with whistleblowers, with a jury trial scheduled for this fall. This lawsuit alleges that Janssen, J&J's pharmaceutical division, intentionally marketed Risperdal for use on children even though it was only approved for adult schizophrenia. The suit also involves a company scheme to boost prescriptions by paying hundreds of thousands of dollars to "experts" to evaluate and recommend the drug state-wide and nationally. Awarded damages are anticipated to be much larger than in South Carolina or Louisiana. Texas has paid more than $500 million for the drug since it was first brought to the market.

Attorneys general in about 40 other states have shown interest in suing the company.

source to read more
http://www.naturalnews.com/033336_Risperdal_child_neglect.html

Lord Sidious
16th August 2011, 12:19
She could appeal to a higher court due to more information becoming available, or she could use the old writ of certiorari to get there too.