Hormonal contraception injections for women have been around for decades. Unfortunately, recent studies have found a potential link between medroxyprogesterone acetate, a common type of hormonal contraception taken through injection, and intracranial meningioma, a type of brain tumor. Many women who have used this form of birth control for extended periods have also suffered from intracranial meningioma. The goal of this blog post is to examine the potential association between medroxyprogesterone acetate (Depo-Provera) and brain tumors and the current status of litigation alleging this connection.
What Is Medroxyprogesterone Acetate (MPA)?
MPA is the technical name for an injectable form of hormonal contraception for women. If you or your partner used contraception, you might not have ever heard of medroxyprogesterone acetate or MPA, but you probably heard of the brand name, Depo-Provera.
The FDA approved Depo-Provera for use as contraception in the United States in 1992. It consisted of a 150mg injection that was given every three months into the muscle of a patient. The FDA later approved a lower-dose version of the drug in 2004.
This lower-dose version was marketed as Depo SubQ Provera 104. It was similar to Depo-Provera, but instead of a 150mg intramuscular injection, 104mg of MPA was given subcutaneously (just below the skin). Depo SubQ Provera 104 was also given to women suffering from endometriosis.
The manufacturer of Depo-Provera (and the lower-dosed version) is Pfizer, along with its subsidiaries and related companies, such as Pharmacia & Upjohn, Viatris, and Greenstone (Pfizer and related companies). Pfizer and related companies claim that Depo-Provera and Depo SubQ Provera 104 are among the most effective forms of birth control, putting it in the same class as sterilization and IUDs in terms of effectiveness.
What Is Intracranial Meningioma?
Depending on the tumor’s characteristics, intracranial meningiomas can be treated with surgery and there’s only a small risk of the tumor spreading (metastasizing) to other parts of the body. However, in some cases, the tumors may grow quickly and require immediate medical treatment. Another problem with intracranial meningioma is that if it’s located in a delicate or sensitive part of the brain, treatment options may be limited.
According to the Mayo Clinic, potential meningioma symptoms could include:
- Loss of smell
- Difficulty talking
- Seizures
- Vision changes
- Hearing loss
- Headaches
- Loss of smell
- Memories loss
- Weakness in the legs or arms
Does Depo-Provera Cause or Worsen Intracranial Meningioma?
Potentially. In March 2024, the British Medical Journal (BMJ) published a study that examined data from France involving women who received surgery for intracranial meningioma between 2009 and 2018. The study analyzed data from more than 100,000 women using differing forms of hormone-based birth control.
Researchers found a connection between intracranial meningioma requiring surgery and prolonged use of different forms of hormone-based birth control (including 150mg of MPA). However, the biggest intracranial meningioma connection was with MPA. Specifically, women who took MPA for extended periods were 5.6 times more likely to have meningioma.
A more recent study from the University of Alabama at Birmingham looked at the link between MPA and meningioma and obtained results that seem to confirm those from the BMJ. More precisely, a woman who received MPA injections had a 53% increased chance of being diagnosed with meningioma. This relationship strengthened the longer the women received MPA injections.
Are There Any Meningioma MPA Lawsuits?
Yes, but it’s early in the litigation process. As of the time of this writing, there are no class action or multi-district litigation (MDL) lawsuits. Yet this could soon change, as there are at least several dozen cases involving individual plaintiffs alleging Pfizer and related companies should have done more to warn users about the potential risks with MPA and/or investigate the possible link between brain tumors and Depo-Provera.
Attorneys for some of the plaintiffs have asked the court to consolidate their cases into an MDL, although we’ll need to wait and see how the court decides to rule on these requests. If you took Depo-Provera for at least a year and have been diagnosed with meningioma, you could have a case. To learn more about your legal rights, please contact me online or by calling 919.334.6277. If you feel fine despite receiving MPA injections and don’t have a diagnosis, you can still talk to your primary care provider, obstetrician or gynecologist about any concerns you might have.