Active LitigationMDL 3140
Depo-Provera Lawsuit Facts
TorHoerman Law is actively accepting claims for the Depo-Provera Lawsuit.
Depo Provera claims allege that Pfizer failed to warn patients and doctors that repeated use of the injectable birth control medication may increase the risk of developing meningioma brain tumors.
Women filing lawsuits contend that the birth control shot led to a meningioma diagnosis and that the Depo Provera label did not contain an adequate meningioma warning during the years they used the drug.
Meningiomas form in the membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord.
These tumors account for approximately 40% of all reported brain tumors. Most are classified as noncancerous, but around 10% to 15% of meningiomas can be cancerous.
Even a noncancerous brain or spinal tumor may require surgical removal, radiation, or long-term monitoring.
Evidence cited in the litigation includes the following:
- A 2024 study published in the British Medical Journal found that women who used injectable medroxyprogesterone acetate for more than one year had approximately 5.6 times higher odds of developing a meningioma.
- Many meningiomas contain progesterone receptors, which may make the tumors responsive to hormonal exposure.
- More than 5,800 Depo-Provera lawsuits are pending in federal court.
- Women generally must have received at least two Depo-Provera injections to meet current preliminary qualification criteria.
- Plaintiffs must also provide records confirming Depo-Provera use and a qualifying meningioma diagnosis.
The lawsuits do not establish that Depo Provera caused every tumor diagnosed after use of the drug.
Each claim requires an individual review of the patient’s injection history, duration of use, medical records, diagnosis, treatment, and other possible risk factors.
Depo-Provera has FDA approval as a contraceptive injection, but approval does not prevent patients from filing lawsuits alleging that Pfizer failed to disclose a serious risk.
The updated Depo Provera label now addresses meningioma, while plaintiffs argue that patients and prescribing doctors should have received this warning earlier.
Depo-Provera Lawsuit Settlement Overview
In June 2026, plaintiffs’ leadership reached a global agreement with Pfizer Inc., Pharmacia LLC, and Pharmacia & Upjohn Co. LLC to resolve certain lawsuits pending in the federal Depo-Provera MDL.
Under the agreement, plaintiffs who satisfy criteria established by the parties will have an opportunity to settle their cases.
The court’s order does not identify those eligibility requirements or disclose how compensation will be calculated.
The agreement is an important development because it creates a potential resolution process before the litigation reaches bellwether trials.
However, the Depo shot settlement will not resolve every lawsuit. The court expressly stated that only eligible plaintiffs may participate and that other cases will remain pending.
The settlement news also caused the court to postpone its ruling on Pfizer’s federal preemption motion.
Proceedings addressing whether expert evidence can establish that Depo-Provera causes meningiomas are continuing because unresolved cases will still depend on those scientific and legal decisions.
Each Depo shot claim must be evaluated individually based on the product used, number and duration of injections, meningioma diagnosis, treatment history, medical documentation, and applicable filing deadline.
As with other pharmaceutical injury claims, the existence of a settlement program does not guarantee that every claimant will qualify or receive the same amount of compensation.
What is the Estimated Average Depo Provera Settlement?
Estimated Depo-Provera settlement amounts may range from approximately $150,000 to more than $1 million for qualifying claims.
Average settlements in comparable meningioma cases have exceeded $800,000, although that figure does not establish what an individual Depo-Provera claimant will receive.
The potential value of a claim may depend on factors such as:
- Whether the meningioma required surgical removal or radiation treatment
- The severity of neurological symptoms or permanent impairment
- Past and future medical expenses
- Lost wages and reduced earning capacity
- The number and duration of Depo-Provera injections
- The strength of the medical and product-use records
- Whether the tumor is operable, recurrent, or requires lifelong monitoring
The terms of the current Depo-Provera settlement program have not been publicly disclosed.
Settlement amounts may therefore differ substantially based on the claimant’s diagnosis, treatment history, damages, and eligibility under the final resolution criteria.
These estimates are based on reported outcomes in comparable meningioma and pharmaceutical injury cases, not confirmed payments from the Depo-Provera settlement program.
No settlement amount is guaranteed, and some claims may resolve for less than the estimated range or may not qualify for compensation.
An attorney cannot accurately determine the value of a claim until the claimant’s medical records, injection history, damages, and applicable settlement requirements have been reviewed.
Past Lawsuits Over the Depo-Provera Shot
Depo-Provera has been the subject of lawsuits dating back to the early 2000s.
The first wave of claims centered around the drug’s link to bone mineral density loss.
Plaintiffs alleged that Pfizer failed to warn about the risk of osteoporosis.
In 2021, Pfizer settled a Canadian class action case related to the bone density loss side effects and related conditions for over $2 million.
The FDA had issued a Black Box Warning in 2004 about this risk, and subsequent lawsuits have claimed that Pfizer failed to provide adequate warnings to consumers and healthcare providers.
Now, with new research linking Depo-Provera to brain tumors, a second wave of lawsuits is being investigated.
Is Generic Depo-Provera Included in the New Depo-Provera Lawsuit?
Yes, authorized generic versions of Depo-Provera, known as depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA), are included in the current lawsuits alleging a link between the injectable contraceptive and brain tumors.
Depo-Provera Lawsuits claim that both the brand-name and generic forms of the medication have led to a heightened risk of serious health issues, including meningioma brain tumors.
