Depo-Provera meningioma litigation expands as JAMA study draws scrutiny

Attorney Greg Vigna is pointing to new JAMA research that links Depo-Provera to a higher meningioma risk, while his firm expands bellwether and state-court litigation across multiple states. The allegations could sharpen legal and medical scrutiny of whether the contraceptive was adequately studied before approval.

Why it matters: - New research and ongoing lawsuits are putting Depo-Provera's long-term safety profile under renewed scrutiny. - The litigation could influence how courts assess whether the contraceptive's meningioma risk was adequately evaluated before approval. - Women who developed meningiomas after using Depo-Provera are continuing to seek legal representation.

What happened: - Greg Vigna, MD, JD, said JAMA research reported an association between Depo-Provera use and increased meningioma risk. - Vigna also said the study found a lower number needed to harm for Depo-Provera than for other progestins evaluated. - Vigna's firm said it holds five of the eight bellwether cases in the California JCCP. - The firm said it has also filed state-court cases in Minnesota, Connecticut, Washington, Wisconsin and New Hampshire. - The press release was issued July 24, 2026, from Los Angeles.

The details: - Vigna said meningiomas have been identified as a biologically plausible complication associated with progestins. - Vigna said Pfizer has not conducted what he считает sufficient research to fully evaluate the risk. - Vigna said Pfizer has not published an epidemiologic study on Depo-Provera despite safety signals reported in the literature for decades. - Vigna said researchers have known since the 1920s that meningiomas may grow during pregnancy and that meningeal cells express progestin receptors. - The release pointed readers to the JAMA Network Open study titled Contraceptive Progestogens and Incident Meningioma. - The release lists five state-court case numbers: 26CV189984, 26CV179081, 26CV178116, 26CV179212 and 25CV156918. - Vigna said the firm's litigation alleges Depo-Provera was not adequately studied for meningioma risk before its 1992 approval.

Between the lines: - The emphasis on latency suggests the timing between drug exposure and diagnosis may become a major issue in both medical interpretation and litigation. - The bellwether focus signals that the California cases could serve as a test for how juries may view the claims. - The release frames the dispute as both a safety question and a failure-to-test question, which can matter in product-liability cases.

What's next: - Vigna said the firm will continue pursuing Depo-Provera litigation tied to meningioma allegations. - The number of state-court cases is expected to keep growing as more women seek counsel. - The firm is also directing the public to educational videos about Depo-Provera and meningioma risk.