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Pfizer's ‘Depo-Provera' Increases Risk of Brain Tumours 3.5 Times Compared to Combined Birth Control Pill According to New Study as Litigation Overseen by Levin Papantonio Rises to Over 550 Lawsuits

1. Pfizer's Depo-Provera linked to 3.5-fold meningioma risk in long-term use. 2. Over 550 lawsuits filed against Pfizer for undisclosed risks of Depo-Provera. 3. Previous studies suggest a similar 5.6-fold meningioma risk associated with DMPA. 4. Women may seek safer contraceptive alternatives due to heightened health concerns. 5. Legal actions against Pfizer highlight potential accountability for safety failures.

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Why Very Bearish?

Increased litigation and health risks can significantly damage Pfizer's reputation and sales. Historically, similar drug litigations have led to drops in stock prices, e.g., Merck's Vioxx case.

How important is it?

The article features significant legal challenges and health risks likely to affect investor confidence and stock performance.

Why Long Term?

Ongoing litigation and potential regulatory scrutiny can affect Pfizer's long-term profitability and market presence significantly.

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A study published on 29 June 2025 in international peer reviewed medical journal Expert Opinion on Drug Safety by Frey et al. has found that use of Pfizer’s Depo-Provera (DMPA) for more than one year is associated with a 3.5-fold increased risk of developing an intracranial meningioma, a type of brain tumour, compared with the use of certain combined birth control pills1.Global pharmaceutical company Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE), manufacturer of Depo-Provera, is facing a multidistrict litigation (MDL No.3140) in the USA, currently comprising over 550 lawsuits against the company by women who used Depo-Provera for more than one year and developed a meningioma.The number of lawsuits has increased from 400 to over 550 since May.This litigation followed a study by EPI-PHARE (Roland et al.) published in March 2024 in the British Medical Journal, which found that women who had used the Pfizer contraceptive injection Depo-Provera2 for more than one year were 5.6 times more likely to develop an intracranial meningioma.An estimated 74 million women globally receive Depo-Provera injections according to a 2019 UN study3. LONDON, July 24, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- A new study published on 29 June 2025 in international peer-reviewed medical journal Expert Opinion on Drug Safety by Frey et al. (the Frey study) has found that use of depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA), which is manufactured by Pfizer Inc. (NYSE:PFE) and sold under the brand name Depo-Provera among others, for over one year is associated with a 3.5-fold increased risk of developing an intracranial meningioma, a type of brain tumour, compared to the use of the combined birth control pill Ethinylestradiol/levonorgestrel (EE-LNG). The study used a database of 114 million unique individuals in its research. Expert Opinion on Drug Safety is an international subscription-based medical journal published by Informa4 publishing rigorously peer-reviewed articles on all aspects of drug safety. A Multi-District Litigation (MDL No. 3140) is being brought on behalf of women in the USA who developed meningiomas after receiving at least 4 consecutive injections of Pfizer’s Depo-Provera (DMPA). One of the law firms appointed to the Plaintiff’s Executive Committee responsible for overseeing the MDL is Levin Papantonio. Virginia Buchanan, Partner at Levin Papantonio, is the court-appointed co-chair of the Plaintiffs’ Executive Committee and member of the Trial Committee and Chris Paulos, Partner at Levin Papantonio, is the court-appointed liaison counsel for Plaintiffs. The lawsuits allege that Pfizer was aware of the link between these birth control injections and brain tumours and that they failed to adequately warn of the risk and promote safer alternatives. Pfizer has acknowledged its awareness of the risks linked to long-term use of the drug and added warning labels in Canada in 2015, and in the UK and Europe in October 2024 following the Roland study published in the British Medical Journal. On 25 February 2025, Pfizer issued a note to healthcare professionals in South Africa warning that DMPA can cause meningiomas and should not be used by patients with a history of the condition. However, Pfizer has never provided an equivalent warning to women in the United States, highlighting inconsistent global safety standards. Law firms are also investigating potential class actions in other jurisdictions, including in Europe, Australia, South Africa and Canada. Virginia Buchanan, Partner at Levin Papantonio, said: “This new study reinforces the need for legal action against Pfizer with the hope of bringing justice for the women in the United States who have never been warned about the increased risk of developing a brain tumour from using Depo-Provera and who have gone on to develop meningiomas. Levin Papantonio has taken on Big Tobacco, Big Oil, and Big Pharma for their corporate wrongdoing and now we're demanding that Pfizer be held accountable.” Mahyar Etminan, one of the authors of ‘the Frey study’, said: “Given the elevated risk of meningioma with medroxyprogesterone, women may opt to consider other safer contraceptives.” In the US, 24.5% of sexually active women have used Depo-Provera in their lifetime, according to a 2023 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report5 and according to the University of Edinburgh, Depo-Provera is used by 15% of women in the UK6. Symptoms associated with these brain tumours include headaches, memory loss, seizures, and speech difficulties, often needing surgical intervention. Depo-Provera, originally developed by The Upjohn Company in the 1950s as a cancer treatment, was marketed as a contraceptive to women in more than 70 countries from 1969 onwards7 despite evidence that its active ingredient, DMPA, caused cancer in animals8 and before the first attempt at a clinical study was conducted at the Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta between 1967 and 1978 involving approximately 11,000 mostly impoverished or African American women9. An audit performed by the US FDA found that the study was unreliable and failed to obtain informed consent from its subjects10. In 1984, The Public Board of Inquiry upheld the FDA’s decision to disallow the marketing of the drug and between 1978 to 1992, the FDA denied approval for the drug to be used in the US three times due to safety concerns. The drug was approved in the US in 19927. Pfizer acquired Depo-Provera following its takeover of Pharmacia & Upjohn in 2002. The FDA has denied multiple Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests for its communications with Pfizer regarding proposed label changes for Depo-Provera and the reporting of the adverse effects of the drug. The FDA’s refusal to disclose this information cites “trade secrets” protection of Pfizer, despite the fact that Pfizer itself has referenced some of these materials in public court filings. Notes to editors About Levin Papantonio Levin Papantonio is one of the leading plaintiff law firms in America. The firm has successfully represented more than 100,000 clients harmed by corporate negligence and misconduct and has helped to secure more than $80 billion in jury verdicts and settlements against some of the world's largest corporations, including Big Tobacco, BP, Dupont, 3M and Merck. Media Contacts Sara G. Stephens, Levin Papantonio T: 281-744-6560 E: sstephens@levinlaw.com  Desiree Maghoo, Questor Consulting T: +44 (0) 20 3761 9670M: +44 (0) 7775522740 E: dmaghoo@questorconsulting.com Mimi Robson, Questor ConsultingT: +44 (0) 20 3761 9669M: +44 (0) 7749940494E: mrobson@questorconsulting.com 1 Frey C, Sodhi M, Fatehi M, Kezouh A, Etminan M. Use of medroxyprogesterone acetate and risk of meningiomas: a comparative safety study. Expert Opinion on Drug Safety. 2025. https://doi.org/10.1080/14740338.2025.2526787 Accessed 8 July 2025.2 Refers to Depo-Provera 150 mg/ml formulation.3 United Nations. Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. Contraceptive use by method 2019: data booklet. 2019. https://www.un.org/development/desa/pd/sites/www.un.org.development.desa.pd/files/files/documents/2020/Jan/un_2019_contraceptiveusebymethod_databooklet.pdf Accessed 25 April 2025.4 Wikipedia. Expert Opinion on Drug Safety. 2025. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Expert_Opinion_on_Drug_Safety Accessed 8 July 2025.5 Daniels K, Abma JC. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. National Health Statistics Reports, Number 195: Contraceptive Methods Women Have Ever Used: United States, 2015–2019. 2023. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nhsr/nhsr195.pdf Accessed 28 April 2025.6 University of Edinburgh. Women invited to trial twice-a-year contraceptive. 2023. https://www.ed.ac.uk/news/2023/women-invited-to-trial-twice-a-year-contraceptive Accessed 25 April 2025.7 Nadakavukaren A. Our Global Environment: A Health Perspective. 7th ed. Waveland Press. 2011. Accessed 22 May 2025.8 World Bank Group Archives. Depo-Provera background documents. 1984. https://thedocs.worldbank.org/en/doc/118081664196031351-0560011984/original/WorldBankGroupArchivesFolder1104000.pdf Accessed 25 April 20259 Green, W. Contraceptive Risk: The FDA, Depo-Provera, and the Politics of Experimental Medicine. New York University Press. 2017. 10 Weisz J, Ross G, Stolley P. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Report of the Public Board of Inquiry on Depo-Provera. 1984. See also Federal Register. 49(210):43507. Green W. Contraceptive Risk: The FDA, Depo-Provera, and the Politics of Experimental Medicine. New York: New York University Press; 2017. A video accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/fa186188-86a1-47f1-923e-0b6394dd0246 Depo Provera Birth Control and the Risk of Meningioma Brain Tumors--Know Your Rights! If you've used Depo-Provera shots for contraception, you'll want to listen in. Levin Papantonio Atto...

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