DEPO-PROVERA UNDER FIRE
Brain tumors. Informed consent violations. The next major women’ s health mass tort is taking shape. By Sara G. Stephens
For years, Mary Smith * relied on Depo-Provera, an injectable contraceptive marketed as a convenient, long-acting solution for birth control. But what she didn’ t know— what the drug companies allegedly failed to disclose— was that the powerful hormone in Depo-Provera had been linked to a serious, life-altering risk: intracranial meningioma, a brain tumor that grows in the membranes surrounding the brain.
By the time Smith was diagnosed, the tumor had already caused significant damage, requiring invasive treatment and leaving her with a lifetime of medical complications.
In 2024, Levin Papantonio filed a lawsuit on Smith’ s behalf. Defendants include Pfizer and a network of pharmaceutical companies involved in manufacturing and distributing Depo-Provera. Smith’ s complaint alleges that these companies— Pfizer, Viatris, Greenstone, Pharmacia & Upjohn, Pharmacia, and Prasco— knew about the risk of brain tumors but failed to adequately warn patients and healthcare providers in the United States.
Unlike in Canada and the European Union, the U. S. label for Depo-Provera never mentioned meningioma. That omission, Smith’ s lawsuit claims, robbed her of the chance to make an informed decision about her health— and left her to face devastating consequences alone.
This lawsuit is part of a growing wave of litigation exposing long-concealed dangers tied to Depo-Provera, a high-dose progestin injectable contraceptive first approved by the FDA in 1992. Once hailed for its convenience, the injection is now under scrutiny for increasing the risk of intracranial meningiomas— tumors that can cause seizures, vision loss, weakness, and in many cases, require dangerous brain surgery. Despite mounting evidence from scientific studies— including a study published in the March 2024 British Medical Journal that confirmed a 555 % increased risk of intercranial meningioma with long-term use— the pharmaceutical companies behind Depo- Provera continue to market the drug without clear warning labels in the United States.
Smith’ s legal battle is about more than one woman’ s suffering. It’ s about corporate accountability. It’ s about a system that allowed pharmaceutical giants to prioritize profits over patient safety. And it’ s about sounding the alarm for the millions of women who may be using Depo-Provera today unaware of the risks that could be hiding in every injection.
40 The Trial Lawyer