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Johnson & Johnson wins reversal of $1.2 billion Risperdal judgment in Arkansas


    (Reuters) - Johnson & Johnson on Thursday won the reversal by the Arkansas Supreme Court of a roughly $1.2 billion judgment in a lawsuit accusing the company of improperly marketing the anti-psychotic drug Risperdal.

    The court said the jury verdict could not be supported because Arkansas, which had brought the case, had sued under a law covering health care facilities, rather than drug companies such as Johnson & Johnson and its Janssen Pharmaceuticals unit.

    Risperdal was launched in 1994, and is used to treat conditions including schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and irritability in autistic people.

    The drug and other anti-psychotic treatments have also been linked to side effects such as strokes, diabetes and weight gain. Generic versions are available.

    Arkansas Attorney General Dustin McDaniel was not immediately available for comment. Johnson & Johnson was also not immediately available for comment.

    (Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by David Gregorio)