Depo-Provera Lawsuits

As of August 2024, Depo-Provera lawsuits for brain tumors have just begun, and there haven’t been too many developments. Attorneys are accepting and investigating cases from people diagnosed with meningioma, a type of brain tumor, after using Depo-Provera or Depo-SubQ Provera birth control shots.

Depo-Provera is commonly known as the birth control shot and contains the active ingredient medroxyprogesterone acetate, which is also available in generic form. Serious Depo-Provera side effects include significant bone density loss, slight increase in breast cancer risk and blood clots.

While there have been some other lawsuits filed for bone density loss and pseudotumor cerebri, there have been no significant developments in these litigations. This page focuses primarily on Depo Provera brain tumor lawsuits.

To qualify for a Depo-Provera brain tumor lawsuit, claimants must meet specific criteria, including time limits for filing a claim (statutes of limitations), length of Depo-Provera use and a specific diagnosis.

These criteria are just general guidelines, and potential claimants should contact a lawyer to find out about their specific case.

Some potential claimants might not qualify depending on the laws of the state they live in. Make sure to contact an attorney right away to preserve the right to file a lawsuit.

According to a March 2024 study published in BMJ, Depo-Provera is linked to a higher risk of developing meningioma, a type of noncancerous brain tumor. The risk increases with long-term use. After this study was published, lawyers began investigating cases.

“The study showed prolonged use of medrogestone, medroxyprogesterone acetate, and promegestone was found to be associated with an increased risk of meningioma. No excess risk of meningioma was associated with the use of progesterone, dydrogesterone, or spironolactone, or the hormonal intrauterine systems used worldwide, regardless of the dose of levonorgestrel they contained,” oncology clinical pharmacy specialist, Dazhi Liu, told Consumer Notice.

The BMJ study is the first of its kind, and authors noted that compared to all birth control methods studied, medroxyprogesterone acetate increased more than other methods — a 5.6-fold increase in risk.

While meningiomas are not typically malignant, these tumors can affect nearby brain tissue, nerves and blood vessels and cause serious disability. When this happens, they must be surgically removed, and brain surgery may have serious risks.

“We are aware of this potential risk associated with long-term use of progestogens and, in collaboration with regulatory agencies, are in the process of updating product labels and patient information leaflets with appropriate wording,” Pfizer told the Guardian in a statement.

The most recent Depo-Provera lawsuits are for brain tumors, but earlier Depo-Provera litigation involved claims for pseudotumor cerebri and loss of bone mineral density. Consumer Notice’s partners are not currently accepting claims for pseudotumor cerebri or bone mineral density.

Depo-Provera pseudotumor cerebri lawsuits claimed the birth control shot could cause a condition that occurs when pressure builds up in the brain, mimicking a tumor. Plaintiffs alleged that Pfizer didn’t warn birth control shot users about the risk.

Mirena lawsuits have also claimed the IUD could cause this condition. We aren’t aware of any publicly announced settlements or jury verdicts from Depo-Provera or Mirena litigation for this injury claim.

Depo-Provera bone density lawsuits alleged that Pfizer failed to warn that the birth control shot could lower bone density and lead to osteopenia and osteoporosis. Pfizer added a black box warning to Depo-Provera’s medication label in 2004 in the U.S.

In Canada, plaintiffs filed a Depo-Provera class action lawsuit in May 2008. According to the lawsuit, Pfizer misrepresented the risk of potentially irreversible bone mineral density loss in Depo-Provera users.

Pfizer paid $1,913,750 to the class and $262,500 to health insurance companies to settle claims in 2021.

We recommend choosing a Depo-Provera lawyer that has experience in handling pharmaceutical injury lawsuits against large corporations. For example, Consumer Notice’s legal partners spent decades seeking justice for plaintiffs against companies such as Johnson & Johnson, Bayer and Pfizer — the maker of Depo-Provera.

These firms have track records of negotiating settlements and winning jury verdicts in the billions. You can sign up for a free case review with an experienced product liability lawyer by signing up for a free case evaluation on Consumer Notice. Our legal partners will contact you and let you know if they can help.