Risperdal was already one of Johnson & Johnson's top-selling drugs before this new use was approved. The medicine can now be used for patients with autism to treat irritability including aggression, FDA officials said.
FDA approved the medicine after two eight-week studies involving 156 autistic patients ages 5 to 16 who took Risperdal or a placebo.
According to the Reuters, a Johnson & Johnson spokesman said: "Risperdal has been shown to be beneficial in treating the associated behavioral disturbances."
But it does not treat core autism symptoms such as communication problems.
