WSJ BLOG/Health: A.M. Vitals: J&J to Settle Texas Risperdal Suit For $158 Million

(This story has been posted on The Wall Street Journal Online's Health Blog at http://blogs.wsj.com/health.)

By Katherine Hobson

J&J Settles With Texas: Johnson & Johnson said it would pay $158 million to settle claims by Texas that the company promoted its antipsychotic drug Risperdal for unapproved uses, resulting in overcharges to the state's Medicaid program, the WSJ reports. J&J said the settlement, to be paid to a plaintiff who filed a whistleblower suit and his attorneys, the state of Texas and the U.S. government, "will circumvent potentially and costly appellate activities."

Analyzing Autism's Definition: An analysis presented at a scientific meeting suggests that changes proposed to the definition of autism would reduce the number of people diagnosed with the disorder enough to effectively end the sharp increase in cases, the New York Times reports. Still, experts working on the new definition -- which will appear in the forthcoming update of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders -- say the new estimates of the changes' impact are overblown and that previous analyses showed fewer people would be excluded.

Pulling Sprouts: Winn-Dixie Stores said it is voluntarily pulling some Leasa brand broccoli, gourmet, spicy and onion sprouts from all of its retail grocery stores on fears the sprouts may be contaminated with salmonella, the WSJ reports. The company says it hasn't received any reports of illness linked to the sprouts but is nonetheless recalling sprouts sold from Jan. 7 to Jan. 18, with expiration dates between Feb. 1 and March 15, the paper says.

Mental Health Survey: New government statistics suggest that about 20% of U.S. adults suffer a form of mental illness every year, with less than half getting treatment, the Washington Post reports. Drug and alcohol problems weren't considered mental illnesses for the purposes of the survey, which also found that 5% of American adults experience a serious mental disorder every year, only 60% of whom receive treatment.

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