Depo-Provera Meningioma Lawsuit (MDL 3140) — Eligibility & Status Tracker
Pfizer and plaintiffs' leadership announced a settlement of a majority of the claims on <strong>15 June 2026</strong> and signed a Master Settlement Agreement on <strong>21 July 2026</strong>. The court cancelled the December 2026 bellwether trial. 6,294 federal cases were pending as of the JPML's 3 August 2026 report. The parties estimate roughly 80% of MDL plaintiffs will be eligible; registration is targeted for completion in November 2026.
How much will I get from a Depo-Provera settlement? Nobody outside the agreement can tell you, because it is a private settlement governed by a confidentiality agreement — no payment matrix was filed with the court, and because this is not a class action there was no fairness hearing at which one would have become public. Any specific per-person number you see is a projection, not a term of the deal.
🟢 A SETTLEMENT EXISTS — and it is not a class action. Pfizer and plaintiffs' leadership signed a Master Settlement Agreement on 21 July 2026 covering a majority of claims in MDL 3140 and the New York state cases. Because this is not a class action, there was no fairness hearing and the terms are confidential — there is no public dollar figure, and any site quoting one is guessing. Registration is targeted for November 2026, payments from Q1 2027.
Your Case Details
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Higher-tier injuries qualify for higher settlement tiers.
Estimated Settlement Tier
$105,000 — $195,000
Mass tort settlements use injury-severity tiers. Most MDLs have published payment matrices — your tier depends on diagnosis + exposure proof.
Editorially Reviewed — Content reviewed for accuracy using published legal research, government data, and verified court records. See our methodology
Reviewed by Leonard Goldberg, Editor
The Depo-Provera Brain Tumor MDL — What’s Happening
Depo-Provera (medroxyprogesterone acetate) is a long-acting birth-control injection manufactured by Pfizer Inc. (with generic equivalents marketed by Viatris and others). It has been used by tens of millions of women worldwide since FDA approval in 1992.
In March 2024, a large French cohort study published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) by EPI-PHARE researchers found that women using Depo-Provera for more than one year had a significantly elevated risk of intracranial meningioma — a brain tumor. Subsequent JAMA-published research in 2024 and 2025 reported similar findings, with risk concentrated in women with more than 4 years of use or those who started use at age 31 or older.
Following these findings, thousands of women filed product-liability lawsuits against Pfizer. On February 7, 2025, the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation consolidated federal cases into MDL 3140 — In re: Depo-Provera (Depot Medroxyprogesterone Acetate) Products Liability Litigation in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida, before Judge M. Casey Rodgers. The FDA added a meningioma warning to the Depo-Provera label on December 12, 2025 (Supplement 74). The court had set the first bellwether trial for December 7, 2026. That trial never happened: on 15 June 2026 plaintiffs' leadership counsel announced a settlement of a majority of the claims, the court vacated the pilot-case scheduling order and cancelled the December 2026 trial, and the parties signed a Master Settlement Agreement on 21 July 2026. The case count had reached 6,294 by the JPML's 3 August 2026 report, up from 78 at the start.
Example Eligibility & Tier Profiles
Illustrative profiles for how MDL plaintiffs’ attorneys typically tier prospective cases. <strong>Any dollar amounts are lawyer estimates, not verdicts.</strong>
Profile 1 — 6 Years of Use, Small Meningioma, Watch-and-Wait
Began Depo-Provera at age 28 in 2015, used it for 6 years. Diagnosed with a small frontal meningioma in 2024 during unrelated MRI. Currently under active monitoring; no surgery.
Lawyer-estimated tier: Tier 1 (~$100K–$400K). Estimate only — the settlement’s payment terms are confidential, and no bellwether verdict will set a benchmark: the court canceled the December 2026 trial after the June 2026 settlement announcement.
Check if this is your situation →Profile 2 — Long-Term Use, Craniotomy Required
Used Depo-Provera from age 32 to 45 (13 years). Diagnosed with a sphenoid-wing meningioma in 2023. Underwent craniotomy and gamma knife radiosurgery; residual headaches and partial vision issues.
Lawyer-estimated tier: Tier 2 ($500K–$2M). Started use after age 31 and used over 4 years — both elevated-risk markers per published studies.
Check if this is your situation →Profile 3 — Severe Complications, Repeat Surgeries
Used Depo-Provera 1996–2008 (12 years). Diagnosed with an aggressive grade-2 meningioma in 2021. Two craniotomies plus stereotactic radiosurgery; permanent seizure disorder and cognitive deficits.
Lawyer-estimated tier: Tier 3 ($2M–$5M+, estimate only). These ranges are pre-settlement lawyer projections; the December 2026 bellwether trial was canceled after the settlement was announced, and the settlement’s payment terms are confidential.
Check if this is your situation →Profile 4 — Wrongful Death (Surviving Spouse)
Wife used Depo-Provera 1998–2010. Diagnosed with grade-3 meningioma in 2020; died in 2022 after multiple surgeries. Surviving spouse asks whether estate has a claim.
Yes — wrongful-death pathway may apply, filed by estate or eligible survivors per state law. Top-tier MDL valuations typically apply to wrongful-death cases with strong documented causation.
Check if this is your situation →Profile 5 — Pre-existing Meningioma Before Depo-Provera
Meningioma diagnosed in 2010, well before any Depo-Provera use.
Not eligible. Causation requires Depo-Provera exposure to plausibly precede meningioma development. A pre-existing tumor falls outside the MDL’s general-causation theory.
Check if this is your situation →Where MDL 3140 Actually Stands (September 2026)
<strong>There is a signed settlement, and the window to register is the thing that matters right now.</strong> The parties told the court that settlement registration should be completed in November 2026, with payments beginning to roll out by the first quarter of 2027. If you have a Depo-Provera meningioma claim, the practical step is to speak to a lawyer about eligibility and registration — not to wait for a verdict, because the trial that was going to produce one has been cancelled.
Sources: MDL 3140 docket (N.D. Fla., Judge Rodgers), JPML statistics, Pretrial Orders 17/30/31, public statements from MDL plaintiffs’ steering committee.
Who May Be Eligible to Join MDL 3140
Plaintiffs’ firms generally evaluate prospective Depo-Provera cases on these criteria. This is not legal advice — only a licensed plaintiffs’ attorney can confirm whether your specific situation qualifies.
- You used Depo-Provera, Depo SubQ Provera 104, or generic medroxyprogesterone acetate injections (typically at least 4 injections / ~1 year of use)
- You were diagnosed with an intracranial meningioma (or in some cases another brain or spinal tumor) — confirmed by MRI, CT, pathology, or similar imaging
- The tumor required treatment: surgery, radiation, gamma knife, or active monitoring
- There is a meaningful temporal link between Depo-Provera use and tumor diagnosis (typically diagnosis 6+ months after first injection, often years into use)
- You can provide medical records documenting both the Depo-Provera use and the meningioma diagnosis
Higher-risk groups per published studies: women with more than 4 years of use, women who started Depo-Provera at age 31 or older — though all qualifying users may be evaluated. Statute of limitations varies by state but is typically 2–6 years from diagnosis or discovery of the link; the FDA label change (December 12, 2025) is widely cited as a discovery trigger.
Depo-Provera MDL vs Other Active Pharma MDLs
How Depo-Provera compares to other active mass-tort pharmaceutical litigations the public often confuses with it.
| Depo-Provera MDL 3140 | Other Active Pharma MDLs | |
|---|---|---|
| Who qualifies | Women who used Depo-Provera (medroxyprogesterone acetate) and developed meningioma | Defined per each MDL’s class (e.g., Tepezza hearing loss; Hair Relaxer uterine cancer) |
| Fund / settlement status | Confidential settlement — MSA signed 21 Jul 2026; no public fund amount | Varies: some MDLs have global funds; others still pre-settlement |
| Distribution timing | MSA signed 21 Jul 2026; registration targeted Nov 2026; payments from Q1 2027 | Varies — some paying out, others still pre-trial |
| Defendants | Pfizer Inc. (Viatris generics) | Single or multiple defendants depending on MDL |
| Filing deadline | State SOL (2–6 years typical, FDA Dec 12 2025 label change widely cited as discovery trigger) | Each MDL has its own filing deadlines and SOL rules |
| Court / docket | MDL 3140, U.S. District Court, N.D. Florida (Judge Rodgers) | Each MDL is docketed before a different federal district court |
Reported Case-Value Ranges (Lawyer Estimates Only)
Multiple plaintiffs' firms publish estimated per-case ranges often quoted as $100,000 to $5,000,000+. Treat these as what they are: lawyer projections drawn from comparable pharmaceutical mass torts, published before the actual agreement and unrelated to its terms. The real settlement, signed 21 July 2026, is confidential — no payment matrix was filed with the court, and because the MDL is not a class action there was no fairness hearing at which one would have become public. Verified against the court's own order: Case Management Order No. 12, In re: Depo-Provera Products Liability Litigation, No. 3:25-md-3140-MCR-HTC (N.D. Fla.), ECF 701, filed 27 July 2026.
| Tier | Source | Estimated Range |
|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 — Smaller meningioma, limited treatment | Lawyer-estimated range | ~$100,000–$400,000 (estimate, not a verdict) |
| Tier 2 — Surgical / radiosurgical intervention, ongoing symptoms | Lawyer-estimated range | ~$500,000–$2,000,000 (estimate, not a verdict) |
| Tier 3 — Severe / repeat surgeries / wrongful death | Lawyer-estimated range (top-tier MDL cases) | $2,000,000–$5,000,000+ (pre-settlement lawyer estimate; not a term of the confidential settlement) |
Depo-Provera MDL Timeline
- 1
1992: Depo-Provera FDA Approved
Pfizer receives FDA approval for Depo-Provera (medroxyprogesterone acetate) as a long-acting contraceptive injection. Used by millions of women globally over the following decades.
- 2
March 2024: BMJ EPI-PHARE Study Published
A large French nationwide cohort study published in the British Medical Journal by EPI-PHARE researchers finds that women using Depo-Provera for more than one year had several times elevated risk of intracranial meningioma compared to non-users. This study becomes the scientific anchor for subsequent litigation.
- 3
Late 2024: Initial Filings Surge + JPML Transfer Motion
Plaintiffs’ firms nationwide begin accepting cases. On November 26, 2024 the Memorandum in Support of Motion for Transfer to Create MDL is filed with the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation.
- 4
February 7, 2025: MDL 3140 Created in N.D. Florida
The JPML consolidates federal Depo-Provera cases into MDL 3140 — In re: Depo-Provera (Depot Medroxyprogesterone Acetate) Products Liability Litigation — before Judge M. Casey Rodgers in the Northern District of Florida (Pensacola Division). Christopher Seeger appointed lead counsel.
- 5
Dec 2025 – Aug 2026: FDA Warning, Settlement, Trial Canceled
December 12, 2025 — FDA adds a meningioma warning to the Depo-Provera label (Supplement 74). Preemption briefing under PTO 30 concludes February 27, 2026. <strong>June 15, 2026 — plaintiffs' leadership counsel announce a settlement of a majority of the claims</strong>; the court vacates the pilot-case scheduling order and cancels the December trial. <strong>July 21, 2026 — the Master Settlement Agreement is signed.</strong> Case inventory 6,294 federal cases as of the JPML's 3 August 2026 report, having grown from 78 when the MDL opened.
Why This Case Matters
Until the June 2026 settlement announcement, Depo-Provera was one of the most rapidly growing pharmaceutical mass torts of the 2020s; since then, new filings have continued at a greatly reduced rate. Outcomes will affect (a) how the FDA handles late-arriving safety signals on widely prescribed medications, (b) the playbook for product-liability cases involving contraceptive injections and other long-half-life products, (c) how plaintiffs’ firms tier and value claims after the FDA-warning ‘discovery trigger,’ and (d) compensation for thousands of women diagnosed with serious brain tumors. The FDA’s December 2025 label change is widely viewed by attorneys as materially weakening Pfizer’s federal preemption defense. Related active mass torts: Hair Relaxer (uterine cancer), Tepezza (hearing loss), Tylenol Autism.
Depo-Provera Lawsuit Scams — Don’t Get Tricked
Mass torts with an FDA-warning catalyst and a confidential settlement attract heavy scammer attention. These are the most common Depo-Provera-specific patterns to recognize.
⚠️ “Guaranteed Depo-Provera payout” promises
The settlement terms are confidential — there is no published payout schedule for anyone to know. Someone promising you a specific guaranteed dollar amount is therefore quoting something that does not exist publicly. Legitimate lawyers will talk about eligibility and the registration timetable, and will tell you plainly that the amounts are not public.
⚠️ Fee demands before retainer signed
Real MDL plaintiffs’ attorneys work on contingency — paid only if you recover. No legitimate firm requires up-front fees, claim-processing fees, or “evaluation deposits.”
⚠️ Calls asking for SSN, bank, or Medicare/Medicaid info before retainer signed
An attorney needs medical-records authorization and basic contact info to evaluate. Detailed financial / SSN / Medicare data should not be collected by cold-callers before a signed engagement.
⚠️ Settlement “check release” advance fees
No legitimate part of this process asks you for money up front. Registration runs through the plaintiffs' firms and the court-supervised administrator, and the parties asked the court to set up a no-filing-fee administrative docket precisely so that claims review costs claimants nothing. Anyone requesting a fee to 'release your Depo-Provera settlement check' is running an advance-fee fraud. Hang up.
⚠️ Lead-gen sites that don’t disclose they’re middlemen
Many “Depo-Provera settlement” websites are pure lead-gen and sell your info to multiple firms. Look for clear attorney disclosures and a named law firm; if it’s anonymous and ad-driven, treat it skeptically.
Depo-Provera Meningioma Lawsuit FAQs
Has the Depo-Provera lawsuit been settled?
Yes, for a majority of claims. Plaintiffs' leadership counsel announced a settlement on 15 June 2026, and the parties signed a Master Settlement Agreement on 21 July 2026 covering a majority of the claims in MDL 3140 and in New York state court. The parties estimate roughly 80% of all MDL plaintiffs will be eligible. Two things to be clear about: it is not a class action settlement, so there was no fairness hearing and no court-approved payment schedule, and the terms are confidential. The court also cancelled the December 2026 bellwether trial once the settlement was announced. Verified against the court's own order: Case Management Order No. 12, In re: Depo-Provera Products Liability Litigation, No. 3:25-md-3140-MCR-HTC (N.D. Fla.), ECF 701, filed 27 July 2026.
How much will I get from a Depo-Provera lawsuit?
No public figure exists, and that is not evasion — the agreement is confidential. Because this is a private settlement rather than a class action, no payment matrix was filed with the court and none has been published. The ranges you will see quoted elsewhere ($100K–$5M+) are lawyer projections from comparable pharmaceutical mass torts, and they predate the actual agreement. What is known is the timetable: the parties told the court registration should be completed in November 2026 and payments should begin to roll out by the first quarter of 2027.
What injuries does the MDL cover?
Primary injury: intracranial meningioma (brain tumor). Some firms also evaluate other brain or spinal tumors potentially linked to Depo-Provera use, though intracranial meningioma is the MDL’s core focus. Wrongful-death cases involving qualifying tumors are explicitly within scope.
Is it too late to file?
Maybe — it depends on your state and when you were diagnosed. Statute-of-limitations clocks vary by state (typically 2–6 years from diagnosis or from discovery of the link). The FDA’s December 12, 2025 meningioma label change is widely cited by plaintiffs’ lawyers as the formal “discovery trigger” for the SOL clock. Don’t wait — missing the deadline permanently bars the claim.
Do I need to pay an attorney up front?
No. MDL plaintiffs’ firms work on contingency — they’re paid a percentage of any recovery (commonly around 33–40%). If there’s no recovery, you owe no fee. Up-front fees are a red flag.
Can my family file if my mother / sister died of a meningioma?
Yes — a wrongful-death pathway may apply, filed by the estate or surviving family members per state law. Documented multi-year Depo-Provera use plus intracranial meningioma as cause of death typically anchors a strong claim. Consult an MDL-experienced attorney about timing and standing.
Does the FDA December 2025 label change automatically mean Pfizer will lose?
No. The FDA’s addition of a meningioma warning to the Depo-Provera label (Supplement 74, Dec 12, 2025) is widely viewed as materially weakening Pfizer’s federal preemption defense (because Pfizer can no longer credibly argue the FDA prohibited the warning). It does not automatically resolve causation, individual exposure, or damages questions. In its July 27, 2026 order, the court said it would still rule on preemption and general causation for plaintiffs who are ineligible for the settlement or opt out, and that those rulings will not affect plaintiffs who are eligible for and elect to participate in the settlement.
Will my Depo-Provera recovery (if any) be taxable?
Compensation for personal physical injury or sickness is generally not taxable under IRC Section 104(a)(2). Punitive-damages portions and interest are usually taxable. This is not tax advice — consult a tax professional if you receive a recovery.
What’s Still Uncertain
What is settled and what is not. Settled: a Master Settlement Agreement covering a majority of claims, signed 21 July 2026, with roughly 80% of MDL plaintiffs estimated to be eligible. Not settled: the amounts, which are confidential; eligibility for any individual, which the agreement itself defines; and the position of anyone who is ineligible or opts out. For that last group the court will still rule on federal preemption and on general causation under Rule 702 — the court was explicit that those rulings will not affect plaintiffs who are eligible for and elect to participate in the settlement. Three substitute pilot cases (Yeager, Davis and Ponder) are proceeding on an expedited schedule limited to the statute-of-limitations question. Verified against the court's own order: Case Management Order No. 12, In re: Depo-Provera Products Liability Litigation, No. 3:25-md-3140-MCR-HTC (N.D. Fla.), ECF 701, filed 27 July 2026.