11:59 AM, Apr. 11, 2012
Johnson & Johnson was told to pay $1.1 billion by a state judge after an Arkansas jury found the company’s officials misled doctors and patients about the risks of the antipsychotic drug Risperdal.
Jurors in Little Rock yesterday said the company’s marketing campaign also violated consumer-protection laws. The panel deliberated about three hours before finding J&J and its Janssen unit engaged in "false or deceptive acts" by sending a 2003 letter touting Risperdal as safer than competing drugs to more than 6,000 doctors across the state.The state was seeking more than $1.25 billion in penalties over the Risperdal marketing campaign. It’s the third jury verdict against J&J, the second-biggest maker of health products, in cases where states alleged it hid Risperdal’s risks and tricked Medicaid regulators into paying more than they should have for the medicine. Louisiana and South Carolina juries also found the company’s Risperdal marketing violated consumer-protection laws. READ MORE
