Meningioma Lawsuit Filed Against Depo-Provera Shot Manufacturers Over Failure To Warn About Brain Tumors

Although Pfizer placed Depo-Provera brain tumor warnings on Canadian labels in 2015, lawsuit indicates drugmaker did not provide the same information to women in U.S.

A California woman has filed a lawsuit against the manufacturers of Depo-Provera, indicating that after receiving the birth control shot for nearly 25 years, she developed a meningioma brain tumor, which is now too dangerous for doctors to remove.

The complaint (PDF) was filed by Monique Jones in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California on October 24, naming Pfizer Inc., Viatris Inc., Greenstone LLC, Prasco LLC, Pharmacia LLC, and Pharmacia and Upjohn Co. LLC as defendants, indicating that at various times she received the brand name version of the Depo-Provera shot, as well as authorized generic versions.

Depo-Provera is a hormonal birth control injection that contains medroxyprogesterone acetate, a synthetic form of the hormone progesterone. It was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1992, and has been advertised as a safe means of preventing pregnancy, by inhibiting ovulation, thickening cervical mucus to block sperm, and thinning the uterine lining to prevent a fertilized egg from implanting.

The shot is administered by a healthcare provider once every three months, typically in the upper arm or buttock, and has become a popular choice for approximately 70 million women, since it is thought to carry few, if any, serious side effects. However, recent studies have linked the Depo shot to an increased risk of meningioma brain tumors, which can be life-threatening and often require surgical intervention.

Jones now joins a growing number of other women pursuing meningioma lawsuits against Depo-Provera shot manufacturers, noting that the warning labels provided in Canada have included information about the potential risk of brain tumors since 2015. However, the drug makers did not provide the same warnings to women or medical providers in the U.S.

Jones indicates that she began receiving Depo-Provera shots in 2000, and continued to regularly receive the injections until this year, for a total of 91 shots. This included periods where she took breaks from receiving the birth control shots, at her doctor’s suggestion.

“Over time, the Plaintiff experienced concerning symptoms such as lightheadedness, ear itching, headaches, vertigo, and blurred vision,” Jones’ lawsuit states. “Following multiple medical visits complaining of these symptoms, she was diagnosed with an intracranial meningioma in 2020.”

Jones indicates that was just the beginning.

In June 2020, a CT scan revealed a “densely calcified” meningioma measuring 1.2 x 0.6 centimeters. In June 2023, a follow-up scan measured the tumor at 8 millimeters. As of last month, it had grown to 9 mm.

Due to the calcified nature of the brain tumor, where calcium builds up in body tissues and then hardens, Jones indicates that her doctors have found that it will be too dangerous to surgically remove the meningioma. As a result, she has no choice but to continue to suffer painful headaches.

“Defendants ignored reports from patients and health care providers throughout the United States which indicated that Depo-Provera failed to perform as intended. Defendants also knew or should have known of the effects associated with long term use of Depo-Provera, which led to the severe and debilitating injuries suffered by Plaintiff and numerous other patients,” the lawsuit states. “Rather than conducting adequate testing to determine the cause of these injuries for which it had notice or rule out Depo-Provera’s design as the cause of the injuries, Defendants continued to falsely and misleadingly market Depo-Provera as a safe and effective prescription drug for contraception and other indications.”

Jones presents claims of strict liability, failure to warn, design defect, negligence, negligent failure to warn, negligent misrepresentation, fraudulent misrepresentation, breach of warranty, and seeks both compensatory and punitive damages.

Depo-Provera Meningioma Lawsuits

The complaint comes as women throughout the U.S. are actively reviewing Depo-Provera meningioma lawsuits against Pfizer, indicating that the drug makers had a responsibility to thoroughly investigate and assess the safety of their product.

This included a duty to conduct rigorous research and clinical trials to identify potential risks, such as the association between Depo-Provera and meningioma, as well as a duty to disclose all potential side effects so women could make an informed decision about whether to receive the birth control shot.

Depo-Provera lawyers provided free consultations and claim evaluations for individuals who received the birth control shots and developed meningioma brain tumors, and claims are handled on a contingency fee basis, which means that there are no fees or expenses paid unless a settlement or lawsuit payout is received.