Thousands of women have filed Depo-Provera lawsuits, saying they developed brain tumors due to their use of the birth control shot.
CHESTNUT HILL, MA / ACCESS Newswire / May 20, 2026 / One of the fastest-growing pharmaceutical mass torts in recent U.S. legal history is now well into its second year – and the women at its center are only beginning to understand what was done to them.
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Birth Injury Justice Center, which has long advocated for individuals harmed by inadequate medical disclosure and pharmaceutical negligence, is responding to the rapid expansion of Depo-Provera brain tumor litigation and providing critical information to women who may have been affected.
Where the Litigation Stands Today
The Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation consolidated all federal Depo-Provera lawsuits into MDL No. 3140 in the Northern District of Florida, under Judge M. Casey Rodgers, with more than 3,769 cases filed as of May 2026.
The pace of growth has been extraordinary by any measure. From March 2025 to March 2026, the litigation grew from 78 to 3,099 cases – a 3,873% increase in a single year. From February to March 2026 alone, the case count surged by 1,001 filings, a 47.7% jump in a single month.
The federal MDL represents only a portion of total legal activity. Hundreds of additional cases are pending in state courts in New York and Delaware, with cases also filed across California, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, and New Mexico.
The first bellwether trial is scheduled for December 7, 2026, a proceeding that will test the strength of the victims’ core claims before a jury and is widely expected to shape settlement negotiations across the broader litigation.
The Science Behind the Claims
The central claim – that long-term use of Depo-Provera, which contains the synthetic progestin medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA), significantly raises a woman’s risk of an intracranial meningioma – is now supported by multiple large independent studies.
A landmark study published in JAMA Neurology by researchers at Cleveland Clinic and Case Western Reserve University found that Depo-Provera users faced a 2.43 times higher risk of meningioma compared to women who used no hormonal contraceptives – with risk highest among women who used the drug for more than four years or who began after age 31.
This built on an earlier study published in the British Medical Journal, which found that women who used the birth control shot for a year or more were 5.55 times more likely to develop a meningioma than non-users – one of the strongest statistical associations seen in pharmaceutical tort litigation.
Warning signs were not new. Research from the early 1980s established that meningioma tumors carry progesterone receptors, suggesting that synthetic progestins could influence tumor growth. European regulators and Canadian health authorities eventually required meningioma warning labels on Depo-Provera years before the United States did the same.
What the FDA Label Change Means for Women
In December 2025, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved a label change for Depo-Provera, adding warning language about the risk of meningioma brain tumors. The updated prescribing information now states that cases of meningiomas have been reported following repeated administration of medroxyprogesterone acetate, primarily with long-term use, and directs health care providers to monitor patients for signs and symptoms and to discontinue the drug if a meningioma is diagnosed.
For women currently using or previously treated with Depo-Provera, this label change carries immediate practical importance. It confirms that the risk is real and medically recognized. But for the thousands of women who used the drug before December 2025, this update arrives too late – they received no warning of any kind at the time their prescriptions were written and their injections administered.
Who May Be Eligible to File a Claim
Women who used Depo-Provera or Depo-SubQ Provera 104 and have since been diagnosed with an intracranial meningioma may be eligible to take legal action. Qualifying diagnoses include various forms of meningioma – cranial meningioma, meninges tumor, arachnoid tumor, skull base meningioma, and spinal tumors.
Litigation guidelines generally focus on women who used the drug for one year or longer, as research has consistently found that the meningioma association is concentrated among longer-term users.
Depo-Provera lawyers estimate that, if this litigation reaches a settlement phase, individual payouts could fall in a broad range from approximately $10,000 to over $1 million, depending on the specifics of each case.
Time Matters
As with all pharmaceutical injury litigation, statutes of limitations apply. Deadlines vary by state and are calculated differently depending on when a meningioma was diagnosed and when the connection to Depo-Provera was or could reasonably have been discovered.
Women who believe they may have a claim are encouraged to seek a case review as soon as possible.
For a free, no-obligation case evaluation, visit childbirthinjuries.com.
About Birth Injury Justice Center: Founded in 2003 by a team of legal professionals, Birth Injury Justice Center is dedicated to educating and empowering families affected by birth injuries. With registered nurses on staff and a national network of birth injury attorneys, the organization helps families understand their legal rights and access the financial support their child deserves.
CONTACT:
Beth Carter
(855) 346-6101
nurse_beth@childbirthinjuries.com
1330 Boylston St., Suite #400
Chestnut Hill, MA 02467
SOURCE: Birth Injury Justice Center
View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire
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