The FDA approved
INVEGA SUSTENNA
in 2009. It is a long-acting injectable intended for adults with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder. However, it has been prescribed widely off-label to adolescents, foster children, and incarcerated individuals.
Doomed by Design: How a Dangerous Drug, a Broken System, and a Failing DA Failed A Mentally Ill Teen
Robbie Robertson·Civil Rights·March 27, 2025·
https://theokpost.com/civil-rights/doomed-by-design-how-a-dangerous-drug-a-broken-system-and-a-failing-da-failed-a-mentally-ill-teen/2025/03/27/
Despite being approved for schizophrenia in children aged 12-17, Johnson & Johnson’s own website admits that “the safety and effectiveness of INVEGA SUSTENNA in patients <18 years of age have not been established.” Yet their billion-dollar marketing campaign continues unabated.
Peyton Moyer, a mentally ill man from Watkinsville, Georgia, was sentenced to life in prison at age 19. He was charged in a high-profile double homicide case involving the deaths of his mother, Ashley Shutza, and boyfriend Benjamin Smith. Mainstream media sensationalized the case, presenting it as a cut-and-dry murder without regard for mental health, medication side effects, or the role of systemic failure. Articles by outlets such as People Magazine, Fox 5 Atlanta, and Oxygen provided the public only one side of the story—a side devoid of crucial context.
What the public doesn’t know is this: Peyton was under the influence of paliperidone palmitate, a powerful antipsychotic drug known as INVEGA SUSTENNA®. It was administered to him as a teenager—against the will of his father, Gregory Moyer, and without informed consent. No comprehensive evaluation was performed, and tragically, the medical records were never made available to the court until the final day of trial.
Deborah Gonzalez: Same DA, Same Failures
Peyton Moyer was prosecuted by Athens District Attorney Deborah Gonzalez, the same controversial prosecutor now under scrutiny in the case of Laken Riley, the Georgia college student tragically killed in 2024. Gonzalez’s prosecutorial decisions have outraged many, particularly among Trump supporters, parents, and advocates of justice reform, who are increasingly alarmed by her pattern of negligence and political posturing.
Big Pharma and Government in Lockstep
The Moyers argue that since the Affordable Care Act, HHS has increasingly functioned as a marketing branch for Big Pharma instead of protecting consumers. Vulnerable children in foster care and the juvenile justice system are disproportionately targeted.
According to a Massachusetts DCF study, 20% of foster children are prescribed psychotropic drugs at dosages exceeding FDA guidelines. Other states, like California, require oversight. Federally, however, there are no such requirements.
In recent years, the misuse of psychotropic medications among vulnerable children, particularly those in foster care, has become alarmingly common. According to recent studies, nearly 40% of children in the foster care system are prescribed psychotropic drugs—often in doses exceeding FDA guidelines and without proper oversight (Massachusetts Department of Children and Families Study). While these potent drugs are liberally prescribed to address behavioral or emotional challenges, rarely does the CDC or other public health agencies invest similar resources or emphasis in promoting holistic approaches such as exercise, diet, and mental wellness programs—strategies known to significantly improve mental health in children. This stark disparity highlights a deeply flawed system, prioritizing pharmaceutical interventions over safer, more effective, and less invasive methods of care.
The Overmedication of Youth: A Call for Holistic Approaches
The overprescription of psychotropic medications among foster children is a pressing concern. Studies indicate that youth in foster care are prescribed psychotropic drugs at rates 2.7 to 4.5 times higher than non-foster children covered by Medicaid. This trend underscores the urgent need for alternative interventions.
Read moar:
https://theokpost.com/civil-rights/doomed-by-design-how-a-dangerous-drug-a-broken-system-and-a-failing-da-failed-a-mentally-ill-teen/2025/03/27/