Pfizer sued in US over contraceptive that women say caused brain tumours

"The drugmaker Pfizer faces a US lawsuit brought on behalf of women who developed brain tumours, which they say are linked to their use of the company's contraceptive injection Depo-Provera. The class action lawsuit alleges that the US pharmaceutical company failed to warn women and doctors about the increased risk of developing an intracranial meningioma if Depo-Provera, a quarterly injection, is used for more than a year. A court hearing will take place in Pensacola, Florida, on Monday."

"A study published in the British Medical Journal in March 2024 found that prolonged use of certain progestogen medications was linked to a greater risk of intracranial meningioma, which are tumours that form in tissues around the brain. Medroxyprogesterone acetate, sold as Depo-Provera, was linked to a 5.6-fold higher risk. Meningioma is the most common type of benign brain tumour. They grow slowly and are not usually cancerous but can cause vision or hearing loss, headaches and seizures, and often need surgical removal."

"Since May, the number of lawsuits filed by women in the US against Pfizer has tripled to more than 1,300, which have been consolidated in the multi-district litigation, according to the law firm Levin Papantonio, which is bringing the action. The potential claim value could be several billion dollars, with the number of lawsuits expected to rise to between 5,000 and 10,000 from women in the US."

Women who used Depo-Provera filed a US class-action alleging the injection increases intracranial meningioma risk after more than one year of use. A Pensacola court hearing will hear oral arguments on pre-emption defenses using five pilot cases. Since May, lawsuits tripled to over 1,300 and could rise to 5,000–10,000, with potential claims worth several billion dollars. A March 2024 British Medical Journal study linked prolonged use of certain progestogens, including medroxyprogesterone acetate (Depo-Provera), to a 5.6-fold higher meningioma risk. Meningiomas can impair vision or hearing, cause seizures, and often require risky surgical removal. Pfizer says it sought a tumour warning but the US regulator rejected it.

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