Pharma Giants Accused of Hiding Cancer Risk in Childhood Drugs
Lawsuit Alleges Decades-Long Cover-Up of Serious Side Effects
Major pharmaceutical companies, Eli Lilly and Johnson & Johnson, are facing renewed scrutiny over allegations they concealed a significant cancer risk associated with antipsychotic drugs marketed aggressively to vulnerable populations, including children and the elderly. The litigation highlights a pattern of prioritizing profits over patient safety.
Concerns Over Risperdal and Zyprexa
The lawsuit contends that Johnson & Johnson and Eli Lilly developed antipsychotic medications, Risperdal and Zyprexa, as their original patents neared expiration. The companies are accused of promoting these new, more expensive drugs as superior alternatives, despite internal knowledge and regulatory concerns about their increased dangers. Notably, the drugs were allegedly marketed for unapproved uses, such as attention-deficit disorder, targeting healthcare providers who serve young patients and those with dementia.
According to the lawsuit, these potent antipsychotics were promoted for uses beyond their initial approval for severe psychotic conditions like schizophrenia. Marketing efforts allegedly included kickbacks to medical professionals and targeting child psychiatrists and adolescent mental health facilities. This aggressive push aimed to broaden the user base, potentially exposing more individuals to heightened health risks.
“These companies knowingly exposed children and other medically vulnerable groups to a potent carcinogen—then dismissed the danger for decades,” stated Monique Alarcon, an attorney with Wisner Baum. Her firm is representing claimants in the suit.
Past legal actions have seen substantial settlements. Johnson & Johnson, for instance, previously paid billions in federal settlements for similar conduct related to Risperdal and Zyprexa. These included some of the largest criminal fines ever imposed. Lawsuits also previously alleged that Risperdal caused abnormal breast growth, known as gynecomastia, and that the company failed to adequately warn about this risk, leading to significant verdicts for plaintiffs between 2015 and 2021.
Profits Versus Public Health
The financial scale of these companies is immense, with Eli Lilly’s market value nearing $772 billion and Johnson & Johnson exceeding $400 billion. This case suggests that these considerable profits may have been built, in part, on a foundation of compromised public health.
The Department of Justice had previously alleged that drug manufacturers used tactics such as “paying kickbacks to doctors and pharmacists; targeting sales calls toward child psychiatrists, adolescent mental health facilities, and nursing homes; and clouding research into safety concerns with ‘misinformation from a company trying to build its bottom line’.”
The complaint details how the drug companies allegedly directed sales efforts for these powerful antipsychotics toward healthcare professionals serving children, adolescents, and dementia patients. This was reportedly done despite awareness that the drugs could significantly elevate prolactin levels, a hormonal change linked to an increased risk of breast cancer. For decades, the companies allegedly suppressed safety data and funded misleading studies to deceive regulatory bodies and the public about these risks.
“We’ve seen time and time again where Pharma Giants have put public health at risk. Here, they have used a playbook of aggressive marketing tactics directed at some of the most vulnerable members of our society while hiding a cancer risk, they’ve known about for decades. This case shows the danger of putting profits ahead of patients. These companies knowingly exposed children and other medically vulnerable groups to a potent carcinogen—then dismissed the danger for decades.”
—Monique Alarcon, Attorney at Wisner Baum
Seeking Justice and Transparency
The current lawsuit seeks compensatory and punitive damages. It also aims to bring greater public awareness to the concealed breast cancer risks associated with these drugs, which were allegedly downplayed to increase company profits at the expense of patient well-being.
In the United States, regulatory bodies like the FDA continue to monitor drug safety, but historical instances show the challenges in ensuring patient protection against corporate practices. For example, a 2023 report by the National Bureau of Economic Research found that pharmaceutical companies spent billions on lobbying and political campaigns, potentially influencing regulatory environments (National Bureau of Economic Research, 2023).
Individuals who developed breast cancer after taking Risperdal or Zyprexa may be eligible to file a claim. More information can be found by contacting Wisner Baum or reviewing the full complaint on their website.
About Wisner Baum
Wisner Baum is a law firm dedicated to holding powerful corporations accountable. Since 1985, the firm has pursued cases involving catastrophic injuries, pharmaceutical failures, and corporate negligence, aiming to achieve not only justice for clients but also broader societal change. With over $4 billion in verdicts and settlements, their work has contributed to increased public awareness and reforms in product safety and industry practices.
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