A Collierville man has been awarded more than $140 million in a lawsuit against the makers of a testosterone drug that he says caused him to have a heart attack.

A federal court jury in Chicago handed down the verdict in favor of Jeffrey Konrad on Thursday after several weeks of testimony in which his lawyers argued that Chicago-based AbbVie Inc. misrepresented the risks of its drug known as AndroGel.

AbbVie was ordered to pay Konrad $140,000 in compensatory damages and $140 million in punitive damages. The company said in a statement it would appeal the verdict.

Parker Trotz, a Memphis-based lawyer who is part of the legal team representing Konrad, said the ruling sends a “very strong message” to AbbVie and other pharmaceutical firms about the impropriety of putting profits above patients’ health.

“The large punitive award really reflects that jury’s decision,” Trotz said.

Konrad’s case was among a series of “bellwether” or test trials intended to gauge how future litigation might turn out. Thousands of similar lawsuits have been filed against AbbVie and makers of other so-called “Low-T” drugs marketed as cures for a low libido, lack of vitality and other problems.

In July, a federal jury awarded another plaintiff $150 million in punitive damages, but it provided no compensatory damages, ruling that AndroGel did not cause the man’s heart attack.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has voiced caution over the use of testosterone products, citing studies linking them to increased risks of cardiovascular problems. Two years ago, it ordered manufacturers to change their labels to reflect the possible higher danger of heart attacks and strokes.

“Health care professionals should prescribe testosterone therapy only for men with low testosterone levels caused by certain medical conditions and confirmed by laboratory tests,” the agency said.

Konrad, who is in his 50s, had the heart attack two months after his doctor prescribed AndroGel in 2010 for conditions attributed to low testosterone levels. He has since recovered, but “it’s still something that’s going to affect him for the rest of his life,” Trotz said.

Trotz said the case centered on AbbVie’s “improper testing and failure to disclose risks to primary care physicians and patients like Mr. Konrad.”

Reach Tom Charlier at [email protected] 

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