An Indiana married couple recently filed a new Depo-Provera lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana. Like other couples who have filed similar complaints, they claim that the use of the birth control injection led to the development of a brain tumor. They bring counts of strict liability, negligent manufacturing, breach of warranties, failure to warn, and more, and seek compensatory and punitive damages.
In a recent study, researchers raised the alarm about a possible connection between Depo-Provera and meningioma, a specific type of brain tumor that forms from the membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord. In that study, scientists found that more than 12 months of use of Depo-Provera was associated with a 5.6-fold higher risk of meningioma.
Plaintiff Suffers from Slow-Growing Tumors After Taking Depo-Provera
According to her complaint, the plaintiff started taking Depo-Provera injections in 1998, receiving them as scheduled about every three months. She continued taking them through 2000. In or around 2003, she began experiencing health problems, including headaches, which became progressively worse over the intervening years.
Starting in 2015, she started getting neuropathic pains in her feet and legs, as well as back spasms and shooting pain around her spine. On June 16, 2020, she underwent an MRI of her spine, which alluded to a possible meningioma. On June 25, 2020, she underwent a second MRI of her spine, which again alluded to a possible meningioma as well as a bronchogenic cyst, which is a non-cancerous, fluid-filled cyst that forms in the chest cavity.
Because of these results, doctors recommended an MRI of her brain. She went through that on October 14, 2020, and it confirmed she had developed a small meningioma there as well. About a year later, on October 27, 2021, she underwent another MRI of her brain, which showed the same meningioma. A follow-up MRI a year later showed that the tumor had grown. An MRI of her chest again showed what was presumed to be a meningioma and bronchogenic cyst.
Life-Changing Health Issues Blamed on Depo-Provera
On November 13, 2024, the plaintiff underwent another MRI of her brain, which showed again that the meningioma had grown again. An MRI of her spine suggested the bronchogenic cyst and meningioma had also increased in size.
Due to these ongoing developments, the plaintiff will require an MRI every one or two years for the rest of her life. She may eventually require brain surgery if her systems get worse and/or the meningioma continues to grow.
She states in her complaint that Pfizer, the makers of Depo-Provera, never warned her that by taking Depo-Provera, she could be increasing her risk of a brain tumor or other related health issues.
Studies Show Increased Risk of Brain Tumors in Women Taking Depo-Provera
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Depo-Provera in October 1992 as a contraceptive. In 2004, the administration added a Black Box Warning to the label, alerting physicians and patients of the risk of osteoporosis and loss of bone mineral density. No warning was added concerning brain tumors, however.
In addition to the recent study mentioned above, another similar study was published in Cancers in September 2024 showed that oral exposure to medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA, sold as Depo-Provera) was not associated with an increased risk of meningioma, but the injection was associated with a startling 53 percent increased odds of developing the tumors. The association became stronger the longer the duration of use of injected MPA.
A smaller study published in the Journal of Neurological Surgery Part B in 2023 found similar results, showing that long-term use of medroxyprogesterone acetate (Depo-Provera) increases the risk of meningiomas.
“There appears to be a clear progestin meningioma syndrome associated with chronic DMPA [depot medroxyprogesterone acetate] use,” the scientists concluded.
Will There Be a Depo-Provera MDL?
As more women become aware of the dangers, more cases like these will likely be filed in courts nationwide. Already, several have been filed, and on November 26, 2024, about a dozen plaintiffs filed a joint motion to establish a Depo-Provera multidistrict litigation (MDL), where all federally filed cases would be combined into one court for more efficient pre-trial proceedings. On December 10, another three plaintiffs filed a motion supporting centralization.
The U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (JPML) will hear arguments on these motions on January 30, 2025.
Exclusively focused on representing plaintiffs—especially in mass tort litigation—Roopal Luhana prides herself on providing unsurpassed professional legal services in pursuit of the specific goals of her clients and their families. While she handles complex cases nationwide on behalf of consumers, Ms. Luhana resides with her family in Brooklyn, New York.
