US court tosses $US1.2b Risperdal case
THE Arkansas Supreme Court has overturned a $US1.2 billion ($A1.33 billion) judgment against Johnson & Johnson in a lawsuit challenging the pharmaceutical company's marketing of the antipsychotic drug Risperdal.
The court ruled on Thursday that the state improperly sued under a law that applies to health care facilities, not pharmaceutical companies.
The ruling comes in an appeal of lawsuit filed by Arkansas against the company and subsidiary Janssen Pharmaceuticals. The state says the companies didn't properly communicate the drug's risks and marketed it for off-label use, calling the practices fraudulent.
Johnson & Johnson said there was no fraud and Arkansas' Medicaid program wasn't harmed.
Risperdal and similar antipsychotic drugs have been linked to increased risk of strokes and death in elderly patients, along with seizures, weight gain and diabetes.
http://www.news.com.au/finance/business/us-court-tosses-us12b-risperdal-case/story-e6frfkur-1226860746047?from=public_rss