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Depo Provera Dangerous Side Effects

On Behalf of | Jan 14, 2025 | Mass Tort / Class Action

In October 2024, a coalition of personal injury law firms formed with the intent to take on the pharmaceutical giant Pfizer for alleged harm caused by its contraceptive drug, Depo-Provera. NRS Injury Law is encouraging the firm’s clients and any family members, friends, or loved ones who may have been harmed by Depo-Provera and Pfizer’s variations of the drug (like Depo-SubQ Provera 104) to contact the firm to review your experience with our team.

NRS Injury Law follows national cases closely, including mass tort claims like the one outlined in this article. As leaders in the personal injury field, the firm is committed to providing information on this case and others so clients can make informed decisions. We invite our clients to call in and discuss their experiences with the medications outlined in this article. Our team is ready to answer any questions clients may have. If you or someone you know has experienced harmful medical conditions (cerebral meningioma tumors, more info below) as a result of taking the Depo-Provera contraceptive, please call NRS Injury Law at 855-GOT-HURT.

What is Depo-Provera?

Depo-Provera, often referred to simply as “Depo” or “the Depo shot,” is an injectable contraceptive. The drug contains medroxyprogesterone, a hormone used as a contraceptive, and, in some cases, as a treatment for endometriosis. Administered as a shot delivered deep into the patient’s muscle tissue, Depo-Provera provides moderately effective contraception for 12 to 14 weeks. The drug works by suppressing ovulation, i.e., suppressing ovaries from releasing an egg (which may then be fertilized).

Facts Forming the Foundation of the Case

Mass tort cases are often complicated and nuanced. The following are a few of the facts behind the growing case against Pfizer, laid out here to provide an at-a-glance understanding of the case:

  1. Depo-Provera has been on the market for decades. However, its label has no warning whatsoever that the drug can cause meningioma (a typically benign yet still potentially harmful and sometimes metastatic brain tumor). It has been known for decades that there is an association between progestin (a synthetic version of the progesterone hormone) and meningioma, hence the increased risk for women who are taking or have taken contraceptive drugs with high doses of progestin.
  2. Though most meningiomas are benign, 15%-20% of people who get meningiomas will experience metastatic tumors, which can be fatal. Even benign meningiomas, when they form on or near the brain, often require surgical intervention, as even a benign tumor growing in or near the brain can put pressure on brain infrastructure and cause serious harm. Because of this, Pfizer placed a warning in their labeling on their Depo-Provera medications sold in Europe, but they did not do so in the United States, a concerning fact.
  3. When meningiomas grow in or near the brain, the patient will usually need those tumors removed surgically (via a craniometry). These procedures often have serious side effects, such as permanent seizure disorders and other life-altering conditions (usually in the form of cognitive or emotional disorders).
  4. An April 2024 British Medical Journal study found that women who have taken Depo-Provera have a more than 500% increase in incidence of meningioma than women who have not taken Depo-Provera. It is widely believed that Pfizer knew about these risks when developing Depo-Provera but did not add that information to its warning label for U.S. consumers.[1]
  5. There are significant challenges facing personal injury attorneys seeking justice for women who have potentially been harmed by Pfizer’s Depo-Provera medication. For example, the product has been on the market for decades and some women may have taken it long ago, leading to a potential lack of available medical records and essential evidence-building material. However, the challenges associated with the case should not deter women who have taken Depo-Provera or one of its analogs from seeking legal counsel.
  6. Pfizer has produced multiple types of Depo drugs (Depo-Provera and Depo-SubQ Provera 104, often abbreviated to Depo-SubQ). Here-in lies more alleged malfeasance. Depo-Provera is a 150-milligram dosage drug, while Depo-SubQ has just 104 milligrams. The 104-milligram drug is equally effective, yet Pfizer, though knowing the risks of the higher-dosage drug, did not shift entirely to the lower-effective-dose drug despite well-known medical knowledge dictating patients should always opt for the lowest dosage of medication possible to get results.
  7. The signature injury of meningioma that the mass tort case rests on is a type of cranial tumor growing in or adjacent to the brain. The tumor impinges on the brain, causing significant neurological issues. Patients suffering from this injury may experience a variety of maladies, including seizures, double or blurry vision, other vision problems, headaches, hearing loss or ringing in the ears, memory loss, aphasia (a serious language disorder), loss of smell, and weakness in the arms or legs.
  8. Because so many women have potentially been injured by Depo-induced meningioma tumors growing on or near the brain, a coalition of personal injury attorneys are seeking consolidation via multi-district litigation, a method of litigating that allows multiple firms to work together in representing potentially thousands of women who are now up against powerful pharma companies like Pfizer.

The mass tort case is still developing, and NRS Injury Law attorneys will continue to report on its developments and inform the firm’s clients of the case’s progress. To learn more about Depo-Provera, please review the Mayo Clinic’s drug breakdown and risk assessment.[2]

Who Qualifies for Participation in the Mass Tort Case?

Patients who have taken Depo-Provera and suffered Cerebral Meningioma (either malignant or benign) may be entitled to compensation if they meet the following criteria:

  1. The individual must have been prescribed Depo-Provera or Depo-SubQ or a generic version of Depo-Provera and received at least four consecutive injections sometime after 1992.
  2. The individual must have been diagnosed with Cerebral Meningioma (either malignant or benign) and must have used one of the qualifying injections for at least 12 months.
  3. The individual must have a minimum of two years latency from the date of their first injection to the date of their diagnosis, and they must know where they received the shots.
  4. The death statute of limitations applies and must not be within 90 days of expiring (no other statute of limitations checks apply in this case).
  5. An attorney must not currently represent the individual, the individual must not currently be a prison or jail inmate and must have a valid U.S. social security number.

If you have questions about whether you or a loved one meet these criteria, please get in touch with NRS Injury Law at 855.GOT-HURT or via the NRS Online Contact Form. Cases are being analyzed case-by-case, and every plaintiff deserves honest, empathetic consideration.

Understanding the Claim and Seeking Justice for Injured Women

Depo-Provera and its analogs and generics have been used worldwide for nearly 60 years. The drug was first approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1992 for use in the U.S. About one to two million women in the U.S. have used or continue to use Depo-Provera. At this point, numerous studies have found women who use Depo-Provera, chemically known as medroxyprogesterone acetate, have a 5.55-fold increased risk of developing meningiomas.

It seems likely that Pfizer knew of the risks of its Depo-Provera drug. The corporation added a warning label outlining these risks to its European packaging, yet Americans have been kept in the dark about the risks posed by Depo-Provera until recently.

“If a drug company produces a drug that is found to harm people, that company must be held accountable and in so doing this makes future pharmaceutical products safer for all of us,” said Daniel A. Romaine, Co-Managing Partner of NRS Injury Law. “Our team of experienced personal injury attorneys and informed team members are ready to answer client questions about the Depo-Provera drug, its analogs, and the ongoing mass tort case surrounding the aforementioned drugs and any harm they may have caused. We are monitoring this and other mass tort claims and are committed to informing our clients about these cases.”

To learn more about this developing case and to review your legal concerns, call 855-GOT-HURT or fill out a convenient NRS Online Contact Form

  • Disclaimer: The information in this blog post (“post”) is provided for general informational purposes only, and may not reflect the current law in your jurisdiction. No information contained in this post should be construed as legal advice, nor is it intended to be a substitute for legal counsel on any subject matter. No reader of this post should act or refrain from acting based on any information included in, or accessible through, this Post without seeking the appropriate legal or other professional advice on the particular facts and circumstances at issue from a lawyer licensed in the recipient’s state, country or other appropriate licensing jurisdiction.

Sources:

[1] BMJ. “Use of progestogens and the risk of intracranial meningioma: national case-control study.” British Medical Journal, 2024. bmj.com

[2] MC. “Depo-Provera (contraceptive injection).” Mayo Clinic, 2024. mayoclinic.org

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