A man who grew 46DD breasts as a side-effect from his anti-psychotic drugs has been awarded a $2.5 million (£1.6m) payout.
Austin Pledger of Alabama was first prescribed Risperdal in 2002 at the age of eight when its label warned of a “low” risk of gynecomastia, a condition where men’s breasts grow larger, despite the drug having not been approved for use in children.
Four years later, the FDA approved the drug for use as a schizophrenic aid for children, but with new warning labels that alerted users to high levels of the hormone prolactin, which spurs breast growth, in the drug.
However, the warnings came too late for Pledger, who had already begun to grow breasts when the labels were changed, and now at the age of 20 has reached a bra-size of 46DD. He now requires a mastectomy to have his breasts removed.
In his ruling, the judge said that neither Pledger nor his parents were “adequately warned” about the side effects of the drug when he was first prescribed it in 2002 and awarded him a $2.5 million judgement against Risperdal manufacturer Janssen Pharmaceuticals, a Johnson & Johnson subsidiary.
