Depo-Provera

Judge Rodgers has released Case Management Order No. 1, establishing the framework for the initial stages of the litigation.

On February 21, 2025, during a case management conference, the Court identified five pilot cases that will help shape the direction of the proceedings. As part of the order, all involved parties are required to convene in person for a Rule 26 conference on March 3, 2025. A detailed summary of this meeting must be submitted in a Joint Rule 26 Report by March 7, 2025.

A subsequent case management conference is set for March 10, 2025, where the judge will review the Joint Rule 26 Report and outline the next steps in the case.

Furthermore, the Court has called for submissions regarding a proposed leadership structure for the Plaintiffs’ legal team, with a filing deadline of February 28, 2025. The judge will assess the submissions before making leadership appointments.

A newly filed lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California alleges that a woman from Lawndale, California, developed an intracranial meningioma as a result of using Depo-Provera.

According to the complaint, the plaintiff, who began receiving Depo-Provera injections in 2011, was not informed of the potential risks associated with the drug. She later experienced severe headaches, dizziness, vision and hearing loss, poor coordination, and seizures, which led to the diagnosis of a meningioma in 2015. Following this, she underwent a craniotomy and six months of radiation therapy, facing significant physical and financial challenges.

While the case was initially filed in California, it is expected to be transferred to the MDL in Florida.

A recent study indicates that medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA), the key component in Depo-Provera, may significantly raise the likelihood of developing meningioma, a type of brain tumor. Researchers reviewed medical records spanning from 2006 to 2020, comparing women who had taken MPA with those using a widely prescribed oral contraceptive, ethinylestradiol-levonorgestrel (EE-LNG). Their analysis revealed that women who used MPA for over a year faced a 3.55 times greater risk of meningioma compared to those on EE-LNG. This elevated risk persisted even among long-term MPA users. The study accounted for variables such as obesity, radiation exposure, and prior contraceptive use, further reinforcing the link between MPA and meningiomas.

These findings contribute to increasing concerns regarding the long-term safety of MPA, especially since meningiomas represent 40% of all brain tumors. While the European Medicines Agency (EMA) has already advised including a meningioma warning on the drug’s label, the U.S. FDA has yet to implement a similar measure. This regulatory discrepancy raises questions about whether American patients are receiving adequate warnings. Given the potential risks, individuals using Depo-Provera may wish to explore alternative contraceptive options and consult with a healthcare professional to make informed decisions.

Judge Cannon has been assigned as the magistrate judge for this case. Previously, this magistrate collaborated with Judge Rodgers on the recently settled 3M earplug litigation. Judge Cannon has served as a United States Magistrate Judge for the Northern District of Florida since 2019.

Judge Rodgers has issued Pretrial Order No. 4 to establish guidelines for managing all lawsuits related to Depo-Provera. This order ensures consistency in case handling and promotes an efficient legal process.

To streamline proceedings, the court has implemented a master docket—a centralized system for filing legal documents. Any filing that applies to all cases will be designated accordingly, while filings specific to individual cases must be submitted both in the master docket and the case-specific docket.

Additionally, the order modifies the requirements for out-of-state attorneys representing plaintiffs. Since this litigation is national in scope, many attorneys are not licensed in Florida. Typically, they would need to submit a Certificate of Good Standing from their state bar association. However, Judge Rodgers has waived this requirement, which is a standard practice in multi-district litigation (MDL). Furthermore, attorneys who have already paid a pro hac vice fee—allowing them to practice in another district—are not required to pay the fee again in Florida if they have previously paid it for a Depo-Provera case elsewhere.

Attorneys intending to officially represent plaintiffs must file a Notice of Appearance for each case they handle. Lawyers already admitted to the Northern District of Florida do not need special permission but must still notify the court of their involvement.

Regarding the service of legal documents (the official process of informing defendants about a lawsuit), the court mandates adherence to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure unless both parties agree on an alternative method.

With thousands of Depo-Provera-related lawsuits anticipated, this order plays a crucial role in maintaining organization and efficiency. Plaintiffs’ attorneys are highly engaged in this litigation, and this development marks a significant step forward.

We’ve just released a new video sharing our insights on the MDL consolidation in Florida and what we anticipate victims can expect regarding Depo Provera settlement amounts.

A new estimate released today projects the potential number of Depo-Provera-related meningioma cases, with figures ranging from 16,651 to 18,156 for progesterone receptor-positive cases. A broader estimate suggests a total of 27,752 to 30,261 cases within the 18-55 age group.

This projection is based on the premise that individuals who used Depo-Provera within this timeframe and later received a meningioma diagnosis may have a clearer path in establishing causation. This is in contrast to those who used the medication earlier in life and developed the condition decades later. The estimate takes a conservative approach, emphasizing cases where the link is more readily identifiable based on current scientific evidence.

However, legal success hinges on more than biological plausibility—it demands well-defined and specific causation, which will undoubtedly be challenged in court. Many claims may face hurdles due to factors such as individual medical history, gaps in documentation proving drug usage, and alternative explanations for tumor formation.

Despite this, the estimate may actually underrepresent the true scope of cases. A significant number of individuals continue to come forward, even without active marketing efforts beyond providing accessible online information. Furthermore, this projection might not fully account for delayed diagnoses or long-term users beyond the primary demographic.

The U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (JPML) has ordered the consolidation of over 70 lawsuits against Pfizer, alleging that the company failed to properly warn patients and healthcare providers about the potential link between Depo-Provera and brain tumors. These cases will now be handled in the Northern District of Florida under the supervision of Judge M. Casey Rodgers.

This decision followed a dispute over venue selection. While Pfizer and generic manufacturer Prasco pushed for New York, most plaintiffs favored California, where the majority of cases had been filed. A smaller group proposed Florida as a neutral jurisdiction with no ties to the defendants.

Many expected the litigation to be centralized in either New York or California, but the JPML ultimately chose Florida. In its ruling, the panel highlighted Judge Rodgers’ extensive experience managing complex multidistrict litigations, including the recent 3M earplug case, which resulted in a $6 billion settlement.

Judge Rodgers has built a strong reputation for her ability to efficiently oversee large-scale litigation. Her thorough approach, organizational skills, and fair handling of both plaintiffs and defendants have been widely acknowledged. With the 3M case nearing its conclusion, she now has the capacity to take on another major legal battle.

Now designated as MDL-3140, the Depo-Provera litigation is moving forward. The coming months will involve pretrial coordination, initial motions, and the eventual selection of bellwether cases, all paving the way for a potential global resolution of these claims.

An Ohio woman has filed a lawsuit against Pfizer, alleging that the contraceptive injection Depo-Provera led to her development of an intracranial meningioma, a form of brain tumor. The lawsuit, submitted yesterday, states that the plaintiff, a resident of Clinton County, Ohio, used Depo-Provera for birth control from 2008 to 2011 and resumed the injections between 2022 and 2024. She was diagnosed with the tumor in November 2023.

Most women using Depo-Provera were unaware of developments in Europe, where similar progestogens had already been restricted or withdrawn due to their association with brain tumors. In France, three high-dose progestogens were taken off the market even before the Roland study was published.

The decision by the European Medicines Agency and UK regulators to update Depo-Provera’s label with meningioma warnings, while Pfizer continues to exclude such warnings in the U.S., has understandably caused frustration among women involved in this litigation.