Johnson & Johnson were ordered to pay $ 8 billion in the Risperdal case

Johnson & Johnson have been ordered to pay 8 billion dollars in punitive damages in a case involving the way the anti-psychotic drug Risperdal was marketed. Some male patients have claimed that the drug caused them to grow large breasts and that the company neglected this side effect when marketing the drug to doctors.

The $ 8 billion payout, which could be lowered later, was decided by a Philadelphia jury Tuesday, according to a report by New York Times . Compensation claims against Janssen Pharmaceuticals, a Johnson & Johnson subsidiary, were already awarded in 2016 and were a relatively small $ 680,000, according to the Times.

Nicholas Murray, Plaintiff, began taking Risperdal in 2003 at the age of only 9 years years- old to treat symptoms related to autism. Murray reportedly grew with breasts, and the lawsuit claimed that the full extent of the side effects was not properly disclosed to doctors. Murray's legal team represents about 10,000 other clients who are prosecuting similar cases against Johnson & Johnson.

Johnson & Johnson did not respond to Gizmodo's request for comment Wednesday morning, but told the New York Times that it would work to set aside "excessive and unfounded judgment."

"The jury did not hear evidence of how the Risperdal label clearly and appropriately outlined the risks associated with the medication, or the benefits Risperdal provides to patients with severe mental illness," Johnson & Johnson told the New York Times in a statement. "Furthermore, plaintiff's attorneys failed to prove that plaintiff was in fact harmed by the alleged conduct."

Risperdal was approved by the FDA in 1993 to treat schizophrenia, was approved for bipolar disorder in 2003, and approved to treat autism symptoms in 2006.