South Carolina v. Janssen Pharmaceutica, scheduled to begin February 14 in Spartanburg, South Carolina, will be the third jury trial involving claims that Johnson & Johnson overcharged for its antipsychotic drug Risperdal (generically known as "Risperdone"). South Carolina's alleged Medicaid overcharge damages are said to run into the billions.
Pennslyvania asserted a simlar claim, but the case was dismissed in June, 2010, after the state had presented its evidence to a jury. But in Louisiana a jury awarded $257M against Johnson & Johnson last October, and in 2009 a West Virginia judge awarded $4.4M in damages. Several other states' Risperdal claims are still pending, including Arkansas, Montana, New Mexico, Texas, and Utah.
