Formation of the MDL
On February 7, 2025, the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation consolidated 27 federal lawsuits into a single coordinated proceeding known as In re Depo-Provera Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 3140, in the Northern District of Florida. Judge M. Casey Rodgers was assigned to oversee the litigation.[1]
Multidistrict litigation is a procedural tool used when many similar cases are filed in different federal courts across the country. The cases are transferred to one judge for coordinated pretrial proceedings, which can include shared discovery, common motions, and test trials. The goal is efficiency: rather than have dozens or hundreds of judges each rule separately on the same legal questions and oversee duplicative discovery, one judge manages the common issues.
The lawsuits in this MDL allege that women developed meningioma, a type of brain tumor, after using Depo-Provera, a contraceptive injection manufactured by Pfizer. No court has ruled on the merits of these allegations.[1]
Preemption Arguments
On September 29, 2025, Judge Rodgers held a hearing on a legal defense raised by Pfizer: federal preemption.[2]
Federal preemption is a legal doctrine that can bar certain state law claims if federal law or federal regulatory authority occupies the field. In drug cases, defendants sometimes argue that because the Food and Drug Administration controls what appears on prescription drug labels, state courts cannot impose additional warning requirements through product liability verdicts. If a court accepts a preemption defense, it can dismiss claims without reaching the question of whether the drug caused harm or whether the manufacturer acted improperly.
The record we track does not show a ruling on the preemption motion as of the most recent docket entry available.
Label Change
At some point during the litigation, Pfizer added a meningioma warning to the Depo-Provera label under NDA 020246.[3] The record does not specify when this change occurred or what prompted it. Label changes can occur for various reasons, including new data, regulatory requests, or litigation developments, but the materials available do not indicate the reason here.
Settlement Agreement in Principle
On June 17, 2026, Pfizer reached an agreement in principle to resolve eligible meningioma claims in the federal Depo-Provera MDL. The court vacated deadlines for the first bellwether trial while the parties worked to finalize settlement documents.[4]
An agreement in principle is a preliminary understanding on the core terms of a settlement, but it is not a final, binding contract. The parties still need to draft detailed settlement documents, define eligibility criteria, establish claim procedures, and obtain court approval. Vacating trial deadlines means the court canceled scheduled dates to give the parties time to complete the settlement process.
Bellwether trials are test cases selected from a larger group of similar claims. They help the parties and the court understand how juries might respond to the evidence and legal arguments, and they often inform settlement negotiations. The record shows that trial deadlines existed and were canceled, but it does not specify what the original trial date was.
Settlement Administration
In August 2026, Judge Rodgers appointed BrownGreer to serve as settlement administrator.[5] A settlement administrator is a neutral third party responsible for processing claims, verifying eligibility, calculating payments, and distributing funds according to the terms of a settlement agreement.
Court materials reviewed did not establish that cases pending in Delaware, New York, or other state courts are included in the federal settlement agreement.[5] Multidistrict litigation in federal court does not automatically encompass cases filed in state court systems, even if those cases involve the same product and the same allegations. Whether state court cases are part of this settlement, or whether separate agreements exist or are being negotiated, is not shown in the record we track.
Case Volume
As of October 1, 2026, the MDL had 6,412 pending lawsuits, with 6,524 cases filed in total since the MDL was formed.[4] The difference between filed and pending typically reflects cases that have been dismissed, settled individually, or otherwise resolved.
Where Things Stand Today
The Depo-Provera meningioma MDL remains open in the Northern District of Florida under Judge M. Casey Rodgers. An agreement in principle to settle eligible federal claims was reached in June 2026, and a settlement administrator was appointed in August 2026.[4][5]
The record we track does not show that a final settlement agreement has been executed, that the court has granted final approval, or that claim forms and eligibility criteria have been published. It also does not show whether any trial date has been rescheduled following the June 2026 vacatur.
No court has issued a ruling on the merits of the allegations that Depo-Provera causes meningioma. The preemption motion argued in September 2025 has not been decided according to the materials available.[2]
What Is Not Known Yet
The record we track does not show the terms of the settlement agreement in principle, including how much money Pfizer has agreed to pay, how payments will be calculated, or what medical and exposure criteria a claimant must meet to be eligible.
It does not show whether the settlement has been finalized, submitted to the court for preliminary approval, or approved. It does not show whether claim forms are available or when the claims process will open.
The record does not clarify whether cases in state courts in Delaware, New York, or elsewhere are part of the federal settlement or are proceeding separately.[5]
There is no information in the record about whether any bellwether trial date has been reset, or whether trials will proceed if the settlement is not finalized or if some claimants opt out.
The record does not show a ruling on Pfizer's federal preemption defense, which was argued in September 2025.[2]
Sources
- In re Depo-Provera Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 3140 (N.D. Fla.) (2025-02-07). Secondary report: harrismartin.com
- MDL No. 3140 (N.D. Fla.) (2025-09-29). Secondary report: blog.anapolweiss.com
- NDA 020246 (2025-12-12). Secondary report: tavrn.ai
- MDL No. 3140 (N.D. Fla.) (2026-06-17). Secondary report: millerandzois.com
- MDL No. 3140 (N.D. Fla.) (2026-08-03). Secondary report: lawsuit-information-center.com
Litigation facts on this page come from the TortIntel litigation record and the documents linked above. Last checked against that record on 2026-10-24. If you see an error, tell us and we will correct it.