True to his word, Dustin McDaniel, the Arkansas Attorney General, has filed a lawsuit against Johnson & Johnson and its Janssen units over charges of improperly marketing Risperdal, and he’s asked a state judge to force the firms to repay millions shelled out by the state’s Medicaid program for unnecessary scrips, the Associated Press reports. This is the lawsuit.

McDaniel, who announced his intentions two months ago, claims the drugmaker “engaged in a direct, illegal, nationwide program of promotion of the use of Risperdal for non-medically necessary uses.” The lawsuit didnt specify how much the state is seeking, but McDaniel has estimated that the state’s Medicaid program spent about $200 million over eight years to pay for scripts for Zyprexa, Seroquel and Risperdal. The lawsuit filed Tuesday focuses solely on Risperdal.

McDaniel says the drugs were prescribed for uses not approved by federal regulators or indicated in labeling, and he accused J&J and the Janssen units of deceptive marketing practices that pushed docs to prescribe Risperdal much more than necessary. The lawsuit also accuses the drugmakers of not including warnings on Risperdal’s bottle about adverse effects such as neurological problems, weight gain and diabetes.

UPDATE: The AG also alleges J&J concocted results of pre-marketing clinical trials to make appear as if Risperdal had fewer extra-pyramidal side effects (EPS) than older anti-psychotics when in fact it had virtually the same EPS profile. As Furious Seasons points out, the older meds were supposed to cause fewer side effects, making these safer for docs to prescribe.

Ambre Morley, a Janssen spokeswoman, says all info about Risperdal was fully disclosed to docs and government agencies. “Janssen has always been committed to the highest ethical standards and ethical behavior. We’re prepared to vigorously defend ourselves against these claims,” Morley tells the AP.

Hat tip to Furious Seasons for assistance.