By: Anapol Weiss Women’s Health Litigation Team
Depo-Provera, the popular injectable contraceptive containing medroxyprogesterone acetate, has been marketed as a safe, convenient, long-term birth control solution. However, recent research has linked it to an increased risk of brain and spinal cord tumors (“meningiomas”).
Depo-Provera: The Legal Fallout
The first lawsuit against the drug’s manufacturer, Pfizer, was filed on October 1, 2024, accusing the pharmaceutical giant of failing to disclose the risks associated with long-term use of the drug. The Women’s Health Litigation Team at Anapol Weiss, as of the writing of this blog (October 4), is investigating cases and preparing to file additional lawsuits against Pfizer. Shayna Slater, a member of the Anapol Weiss team, has written a brief guide for women who believe their brain or spinal cord tumor may have been caused by Depo-Provera: “Depo-Provera and Brain and Spinal Cord Tumors (Meningiomas): What you Need to Know.”
This is not the first time women have had to resort to legal action to seek accountability for medications and medical devices that were supposed to help them. The Depo-Provera lawsuits reflect a disturbing pattern of products aimed at women being put on the market and used by millions of women, only for their risks to be revealed later—often after thousands of women have been harmed.
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866-609-7331Depo-Provera Lawsuits Join a Troubling Trend in Women’s Health
The Depo-Provera litigation is the latest in a long history of class actions and mass torts involving products and medications marketed to women. From birth control pills to medical devices, women have often found themselves at the center of legal battles over unsafe products that were designed to improve their reproductive or overall health. Some notable examples include:
- Essure: Marketed as a permanent birth control solution, Essure was a non-surgical device implanted into the fallopian tubes. Thousands of women experienced severe side effects, including chronic pain, autoimmune disorders, and perforation of internal organs. After years of complaints and mounting lawsuits, Bayer eventually withdrew the product from the market in 2018. The lawsuits continue, with plaintiffs accusing Bayer of hiding the dangers of Essure from the public.
- Yaz/Yasmin: These birth control pills were heavily marketed as a modern, convenient contraceptive. However, studies linked them to an increased risk of blood clots, strokes, and heart attacks. Numerous class actions were filed, leading to billions of dollars in settlements for women who suffered life-threatening injuries after taking these medications.
- Transvaginal Mesh: Designed to treat pelvic organ prolapse and urinary incontinence in women, transvaginal mesh products have led to devastating complications, including chronic pain, organ perforation, and infections. Tens of thousands of lawsuits were filed. The scale of these lawsuits was so vast that it became one of the largest mass torts in U.S. history. One of the Anapol Weiss Women’s Health Litigation attorneys, Kila Baldwin, is nationally known for securing more than $180 million in individual settlements with Johnson & Johnson for women injured by transvaginal mesh implants.
- NEC (Necrotizing Enterocolitis): NEC is a devastating intestinal disease that can be fatal to premature infants. Feeding premature infants cow’s milk-based formulas designed for use in the NICU, such as Similac or Enfamil, significantly increases the likelihood of the infant developing NEC. The manufacturers of these formulas face lawsuits alleging they failed to warn parents and healthcare providers about the increased risk of NEC with their products and created exclusive contracts with NICUs throughout the country to prioritize the use of their formulas over human breast milk widely accepted as the “gold standard” feeding for premature infants. Attorneys in the Women's Health Litigation Team at Anapol Weiss have been leaders in the massive national NEC litigation.
The Fight for Accountability and Justice
Lawsuits are often the only recourse for women who have suffered serious health consequences due to unsafe medical products.
The Current Depo-Provera Litigation
The lawsuits surrounding Depo-Provera have the potential to become one of the largest women’s health mass torts of recent years. Plaintiffs argue that Pfizer, despite being aware of the risks, failed to warn consumers about the potential link between Depo-Provera and meningiomas. Many women who have used the drug for years—trusting it as a reliable form of birth control—are now grappling with serious, life-changing health conditions.
As with other class action suits, lawyers are investigating whether the manufacturer prioritized profit over safety, choosing not to disclose the full extent of the risks in order to maintain the drug’s popularity in the market. Given the scale of Depo-Provera’s use and the severity of the conditions linked to it, this case may result in significant legal and financial consequences for the pharmaceutical industry.
A Wake-Up Call for Women’s Health
The growing number of lawsuits involving women’s health products, including Depo-Provera, highlights the need for systemic change. Women deserve better. They deserve drugs and devices that are thoroughly tested, with risks clearly communicated to them before they make decisions about their health. The history of Essure, Yaz, transvaginal mesh, and now Depo-Provera, shows that the current system is broken, often leaving women to suffer the consequences of corporate negligence.
The legal system plays an essential role in holding companies accountable, but the larger issue remains—why are so many harmful products allowed to reach women in the first place? The Depo-Provera lawsuits are not just about compensation for those harmed; they are part of a broader movement to demand safer healthcare for women.
Conclusion: A Reckoning for Women’s Health Products
The lawsuits against Depo-Provera and the broader context of similar class actions and mass torts reveal a healthcare system that has repeatedly failed women. As more details emerge, it is becoming increasingly clear that companies must be held accountable for the harm their products cause. Women are no longer willing to accept substandard care, inadequate testing, or corporate excuses. The legal battles surrounding Depo-Provera and other products mark a turning point, where women are fighting back—not just for compensation, but for lasting change in the way their health is treated.
