Pfizer Depo-Provera Lawsuit

Who Is Pfizer?

Pfizer Inc. is one of the world's largest pharmaceutical companies with 2024 revenue exceeding $58 billion. Pfizer acquired Pharmacia Corporation in 2002, inheriting the Depo-Provera brand and all associated liabilities. The original developer was Upjohn Company, which first sought FDA approval in 1967.

The Corporate History of Depo-Provera

Upjohn developed medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA) as a contraceptive in the 1960s. After three FDA rejections (1967, 1978, 1983), approval came in 1992. Upjohn merged with Swedish company Pharmacia in 1995, forming Pharmacia & Upjohn. Pfizer acquired the combined company in 2002, gaining full control over Depo-Provera manufacturing and labeling.

The Failure-to-Warn Timeline

Canada added a meningioma warning to Depo-Provera in 2015. The EMA required warnings in 2024. Pfizer submitted a U.S. label supplement to the FDA in February 2024 — but the FDA rejected it. Pfizer resubmitted in June 2025 and the FDA approved the meningioma warning in December 2025. Plaintiffs argue Pfizer could have voluntarily updated the U.S. label through the CBE pathway at any time without FDA pre-approval.

The Revenue Motive

Although Depo-Provera is not Pfizer's largest product, it generates substantial revenue as a widely-prescribed contraceptive with no generic competition for decades. Adding a brain tumor warning could significantly reduce prescriptions — creating a financial incentive to delay label updates. The decade-long gap between international and U.S. warnings is central to the punitive damages argument.