New Depo-Provera lawsuits filed in 2025 allege that the popular birth control shot caused meningiomas and that Pfizer, the manufacturer of the drug, failed to warn users of this possibly life-threatening brain tumor.
A Depo-Provera lawsuit is based on claims that Pfizer didn’t warn patients about meningiomas despite knowing about the brain tumor risks for some time. Lawsuits involve women who developed brain and spinal tumors or lesions after receiving a Depo-Provera or Depo-SubQ Provera 104 injection.
Depo-Provera is a contraceptive injection that contains the progestin hormone. It is also used to treat endometriosis.
It hit the U.S. market more than 30 years ago and was the first female birth control method to be advertised on TV. Marketed as a safe, convenient and effective contraceptive, it became a popular choice for women.
However, recent research has uncovered alarming health issues that may be tied to Depo. A study published in The BMJ in March 2024 found that users of the drug are at a significantly higher risk of developing a meningioma.
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Women are now filing Depo shot lawsuits because they developed meningiomas after using the birth control injection. They argue that Pfizer, knew or should have known about the risk and did not adequately warn them.
“I was told how great Depo-Provera was, and I thought it would be more reliable and convenient since I wouldn’t have to take it daily,” one woman who filed a lawsuit told Drugwatch in a recent article. “I had no idea it would lead to such serious health problems.”
What Is the Status of the Depo-Provera Litigation?
Depo shot lawsuits remain in the early stages, with lawyers continuing to investigate and accept new cases as the litigation grows.
A multidistrict litigation (MDL) has been established in Florida to streamline and speed up the litigation process. Seventy-eight cases are currently pending in the MDL.
Five pilot cases are set to begin the discovery process on March 27. The process is expected to continue through March 2026.
A new order has provided some clarity on where some of the defendants other than Pfizer stand in the Depo litigation. Greenstone, Viatris and Prasco have all been named as defendants in lawsuits, but the court noted there has been “some confusion” over whether any were involved with the drug enough to be part of these cases. Now, it looks like Prasco will likely be dismissed from the litigation but Greenstone and Viatris will remain part of the MDL.
April 16, 2025
We have reviewed all relevant court documents, and there are no major updates in the Depo-Provera litigation to report on from the last few days. The litigation does continue to grow, with new cases being filed into the MDL. We will continue to monitor all developments and bring you the latest here.
April 7, 2025
Some early contention between the judge overseeing the Depo-Provera MDL and two companies named as defendants in the pending lawsuits has been resolved. Earlier this month, the court issued a deadline for generic manufacturers to submit affidavits over non-involvement. Greenstone and Viatris, both of whom are named as defendants, failed to do so by the set date.
The companies have now finally submitted those documents after the court ordered them to show cause for failing to do so and cautioned them that they may be sanctioned if they continue to fail to respond to court orders.
April 3, 2025
The Depo-Provera MDL continues to move at a solid pace, with case management conferences now scheduled throughout 2025. These conferences are a key part of the multidistrict litigation process, setting times for the parties to meet and check in on the progress of the litigation.
April 1, 2025
The newly formed Depo-Provera MDL has seen some solid growth in its first full month. At the start of March, 78 lawsuits had been consolidated into the MDL. As of April 1, the number of active cases has ballooned to 130 as dozens of new lawsuits were added. That growth may continue as the litigation gets underway.
March 16, 2025
In another key early litigation update, leadership positions have been finalized for plaintiffs’ representatives. The selected team, which is made up of three members, will “collaboratively lead and coordinate the activities of all Plaintiffs’ attorneys in the litigation,” according to the court, helping to streamline the legal process.
March 15, 2025:
The court approved a schedule that sets discovery for five pilot cases to begin on March 27. The court has established the dates for this process through March 2026.
February 2025:
A federal judicial panel transfered 27 cases pending in eight districts to the Northern District of Florida and assigned them to Judge Casey Rodgers for coordinated and consolidated pretrial proceedings. According to the order, another 41 related cases were also pending in fifteen districts.
"The Northern District of Florida is an appropriate transferee district for this litigation," the panel wrote in its order. "Two related actions are pending in this district, which offers the necessary judicial resources and expertise to manage this nationwide litigation in an efficient and convenient manner. Judge M. Casey Rodgers, to whom we assign this MDL, is an able jurist with extensive and exceptional experience presiding over large products liability MDLs. We are confident that she will steer this litigation on a prudent and expeditious course."
The newly formed Depo-Provera MDL got off to a fast start. Judge Rodgers took a somewhat unusual and expedient approach to the litigation, having immediately selected five “pilot” cases from the group of lawsuits that have been filed. The five cases will proceed through discovery and trial and essentially serve to represent the overall MDL. “The work of the MDL will be accomplished through the Pilot cases,” Judge Rodgers said in her order.
January 2025:
January was a key month for Depo-Provera lawsuits, with a hearing on the creation of an MDL on Jan. 30. Pfizer agreed that an MDL should be formed but disagreed with plaintiffs on where it should be located. Plaintiffs prefer California, which would allow users of generic versions of the drug to bring cases against Pfizer.
December 2024:
Following the plaintiffs’ motion last month, a hearing was set for the end of January to determine whether to centralize Depo-Provera lawsuits in an MDL. The panel announced the hearing less than a month after plaintiffs’ lawyers filed the motion to create an MDL. “In this instance, the quick scheduling could indicate that the panel recognizes the urgency and importance of the claims at hand, which is a positive sign for plaintiffs seeking coordination,” Smith told Drugwatch in a recent article on where Depo litigation is headed in 2025. “In 2025, we will likely see the development of an MDL, a consolidation of cases, and initial rounds of discovery exchanged between the parties.”
November 2024:
Plaintiffs filed a motion to consolidate Depo-Provera lawsuits into multidistrict litigation in California or, alternatively, Massachusetts. According to the motion, “most of the plaintiffs who have filed suit underwent intracranial surgery, with many women being left with seizure disorders, vision loss, and other permanent neurological injuries.” Lawyers expect case numbers to rise because of the large number of women who have used Depo over the years. A November court document stated that cases were already pending across eight district courts.
October 2024:
Monique Jones became one of the first women to file a Depo-Provera meningioma lawsuit against Pfizer and other defendants. “Ms. Jones is seeking compensation for her injuries relating to the development of a cerebral meningioma which was caused by her usage of Depo-Provera,” McDonough told Drugwatch. “We believe Pfizer and others knew for many years about the risk of developing meningioma associated with Depo-Provera.” Jones' doctors are unwilling to perform surgery, so she will continue to live with symptoms such as headaches, blurred vision and vertigo, according to the complaint.
September 2024:
A researcher from the University of Alabama published a study linking Depo-Provera to increased meningioma risk in the journal Cancer. He wanted to investigate data specific to Depo use in women in the U.S. because the previous study published in March was based on a smaller sample size of women from France. His research indicated that Depo-Provera increased the risk of cerebral meningioma. He concluded that these results were consistent with prior scientific literature, further strengthening evidence of the link between Depo use and increased risk of meningioma. The association became stronger with prolonged use. Lawyers have included this study as part of the scientific evidence that links Depo-Provera and its generic forms with an increased risk of meningioma.
March 2024:
A study found women injected with medroxyprogesterone acetate, the active ingredient and generic form of the Depo-Provera shot, had a 5.6-fold higher risk of developing a meningioma. French researchers published their findings in The BMJ. Soon after the study was published, lawyers began investigating Depo-Provera meningioma lawsuits.
Allegations Against Pfizer
Drug companies are legally required to disclose side effects to the Food and Drug Administration and consumers.
Women who have filed Depo-Provera lawsuits say they would have opted for different birth control options had they known about the possibility of tumors. They argue Pfizer’s negligence and failure to warn of the potential risk of developing a meningioma exposed them to significant health issues.
“Defendants ignored reports from patients and health care providers throughout the United States which indicated that Depo-Provera failed to perform as intended,” lawsuits state. “…Defendants continued to falsely and misleadingly market Depo-Provera as a safe and effective prescription drug for contraception and other indications.”
Failure To Warn
In the U.S., Depo-Provera labels don’t include meningioma warnings, unlike labels in the United Kingdom and European Union that do mention meningiomas.
Lawsuits argue Depo-Provera’s design uses a high dose of progesterone, not necessary for effective contraception, creating an unreasonable risk of meningioma.
Lawsuits also claim defendants’ marketing falsely represented the shot to be a safe and effective contraceptive option with no increased risk of meningioma.
According to lawsuits, the Depo-Provera U.S. label includes information on Depo-Provera side effects and a black box warning related to bone density. But, it does not mention the risk of meningioma.
But that isn’t the case in other parts of the world.
Lawsuits claim that labels in the United Kingdom and European Union now include meningiomas under the “special warnings and precautions for use” section. The EU label advises patients to tell their doctors if they have a history of meningioma before taking Depo-Provera.
Additionally, labels for the drug in Canada have listed meningiomas as a post-market adverse drug reaction since at least 2015.
“Defendants knew or should have known for decades that Depo-Provera, when administered and prescribed as intended, can cause or substantially contribute to the development of meningiomas,” lawsuits state.
Exposing Depo-Provera Risks
The study published in The BMJ in March 2024 found that Depo-Provera users had a 5.6-fold increase in the risk of developing a meningioma. That risk increased with one year or more of use.
“The [study] recently published in BMJ is the first to assess the risk associated with progestogens that are much more widely used for multiple indications, such as contraception.”
While recent Depo-Provera lawsuits stem from the new meningioma study, questions have existed for decades regarding Depo-Provera’s ingredients and their potential ties to brain tumors.
“We believe Pfizer and others knew for many years about the risk of developing meningioma associated with Depo-Provera,” Brendan McDonough, an attorney named to the Depo-Provera litigation’s Science and Experts Subcommittee, told Drugwatch.
Depo-Provera is known chemically as medroxyprogesterone acetate. It contains the hormone progestin, a synthetic version of the naturally occurring progesterone. Past research has linked this type of hormone to meningiomas.
A study published in 1986 found that meningiomas contain a high number of progestin receptors, suggesting that there could be a connection between hormone levels and the development of meningiomas.
Less than a decade later, another study further demonstrated a link when it determined that antiprogesterone could help treat meningiomas.
Who Can File a Depo-Provera Lawsuit?
Women who developed a meningioma after using Depo-Provera may be eligible to file a lawsuit. Lawyers are also accepting cases from those who took Depo-SubQ Provera — which delivers a lower dosage — or authorized generic versions of the drug.
“The signature injury is cerebral meningioma, which is a tumor of the meningeal lining of the brain that can press on sensitive brain structures and cause severe problems including seizures, headaches, vision loss, and even death,” Brendan Smith, a partner at Simmons Hanly Conroy in the Complex Litigation Department, told Drugwatch.
How To Qualify for the Depo-Provera Lawsuit
To qualify for a Depo-Provera lawsuit, you typically must have taken the drug at least two times before later developing a meningioma. You may not be eligible if you have received only a single Depo shot or if you had already been diagnosed with a meningioma before you began receiving shots.
Do I Qualify for a Depo-Provera Lawsuit?
You used Depo-Provera, an authorized generic version of the drug or Depo-SubQ Provera at least twice.
You were diagnosed with a meningioma after using Depo-Provera or Depo-SubQ Provera.
You have health records that support these claims. A lawyer can help you find and collect these.
“If you’ve been diagnosed with a meningioma after using Depo-Provera or Depo-SubQ Provera or their generic equivalents, you may qualify for a lawsuit,” Smith said. “Consulting a qualified attorney can help determine if your case meets the specific legal and medical requirements for filing a claim.”
Depo and Meningiomas: What You Need To Know
Meningiomas are not technically brain tumors because they don’t start in brain tissue. They form in the membranes covering the brain and spinal cord. But they’re often referred to as brain tumors in the medical community.
According to Cleveland Clinic and Johns Hopkins Medicine, meningiomas are the most common brain tumors and are generally benign, but they can cause significant health effects and require invasive surgeries to remove.
Depo-Provera: A Convenient Shot, But at What Cost to Women’s Health?
Depo-Provera, marketed as a safe and convenient birth control option, is used by millions of women. But alarming personal stories and growing research suggest it may have come with severe hidden costs.
One Depo lawsuit stated that plaintiff Kathleen Fazio had surgery to remove a meningioma after taking the drug for years. However, complications from that surgery left her with blurred and double vision. Her senses of taste and smell diminished as well.
Meningiomas may grow unnoticed until they are large enough to press on the surrounding structures of your brain. Symptoms of meningiomas mentioned in lawsuits include headaches and vision issues.
Meningioma symptoms include:
Changes in behavior or personality
Headaches that may get worse over time
Loss of smell
Nausea
Seizures
Trouble thinking clearly or brain fog
Trouble walking
Vision or hearing loss, including ringing in the ears
Weakness in a leg or arm
The plaintiff in one Depo lawsuit told Drugwatch that “dealing with the side effects was brutal.”
“Don’t ignore what’s happening to you,” she said. “These side effects aren’t just something to push through — they can be life-changing. Make sure you’re getting checked and take action now. If I’d known what I was facing, I would have sought help sooner.”
“If you've been diagnosed with a meningioma after using Depo-Provera or Depo-SubQ Provera or their generic equivalents, you may qualify for a lawsuit. Consulting a qualified attorney can help determine if your case meets the specific legal and medical requirements for filing a claim.”
How To File a Depo-Provera Shot Lawsuit
You can connect with an experienced product liability lawyer by signing up for a free case evaluation here on Drugwatch. Our legal partners have decades of experience taking on companies such as Johnson & Johnson, Bayer and Pfizer — the maker of Depo-Provera.
After reviewing your form submission, our legal partners will contact you to ask a few questions about your Depo-Provera use. Then, they will let you know if they can help.
Questions a lawyer may ask to see if you qualify for a Depo-Provera lawsuit include:
Did you use Depo-Provera, an authorized generic version of the drug or Depo-SubQ Provera 104?
When did you first use the drug and for how long?
When were you diagnosed with a meningioma?
What treatment have you undergone related to your meningioma?
“People should expect to provide their medical history, including their usage of Depo-Provera and any history of pregnancy and other hormonal contraceptive use, as well as diagnosis and treatment information related to their meningioma,” Smith said.
The time limit for filing a legal claim, also known as a statute of limitations, will vary depending on where you live. So, it’s important to speak with a Depo attorney about a potential claim as soon as possible.
Compensation From Depo-Provera Lawsuits
According to our research, many pharmaceutical product liability cases similar to Depo-Provera often reach five- to six-figure settlements. However, exact settlement amounts can vary significantly depending on each plaintiff’s specific circumstances and the damages they claim.
Depo-Provera lawsuits reference general damages for “severe physical pain, mental suffering, inconvenience, and loss of the enjoyment of life.” Special damages may also be sought to cover costs like medical expenses and lost earnings related to meningioma diagnosis and treatment.
“My life has become overwhelming,” one plaintiff told Drugwatch. “This diagnosis has only added to the burden, and it’s not something I can escape or ignore. It’s made everything harder.”
Other birth control methods have also been the subject of lawsuits in the past, sometimes resulting in sizable financial payouts for plaintiffs. For example, Essure — a permanent birth control option for women — was at the center of numerous claims related to serious side effects.
In 2020, Bayer resolved tens of thousands of Essure cases through a large settlement. Similarly, lawsuits involving the birth control pills Yaz and Yasmin alleged risks such as stroke, blood clots, and embolisms, ultimately leading to substantial settlements for claimants.
In the early 2000s, some women filed lawsuits claiming Depo-Provera lowered bone density, though there were no notable settlements or jury verdicts in the U.S. for those cases.
Note: Settlement figures and outcomes can vary greatly from one case to another. Always consult with a qualified attorney for the most accurate, up-to-date information.
Please seek the advice of a medical professional before making health care decisions.
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“The [study] recently published in BMJ is the first to assess the risk associated with progestogens that are much more widely used for multiple indications, such as contraception.”
