A man who grew breasts after taking an antipsychotic drug as a boy was awarded $2.5 million in damages earlier this week against the company that makes the pill.

A Philadelphia jury ruled that Austin Pledger, now 20, "was not adequately warned" that he would grow breasts as a side effect of using Risperdal.

A spokesman for drug company Janssen said the firm is "disappointed" and "believes this verdict should be overturned," claiming that Risperdal's side effects were clearly communicated to Pledger, his family and his physician.
At the time, Risperdal was not approved by the Food and Drug Administration for use in children. Pledger, who was diagnosed as autistic, was 8 years old when the prescription was written. Though the drug's warning label warned about the risk of gynecomastia, a condition that causes men to grow female breasts, it said the risks were extremely low.
In 2006, the FDA approved Risperdal, issuing new label information saying that the drug contained high levels of prolactin, a hormone that promotes breast growth.

By that time, Pledger already had begun to develop breasts. His lawyer stated his breasts - 46 DD - can only be removed by double mastectomy.

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