We are in an era where trust in pharmaceutical giants is already at rock bottom, but a bombshell study and a wave of lawsuits have once again spotlighted Pfizer's troubling history of prioritising profits over patient safety. A massive analysis published in JAMA Neurology on September 2, 2025, examined over 61 million U.S. medical records and revealed that women using Pfizer's injectable birth control, Depo-Provera (depot medroxyprogesterone acetate or DMPA), face a 2.43-fold increased risk of developing meningioma, a type of brain tumour that, while often benign, can lead to devastating symptoms like vision loss, seizures, cognitive decline, and paralysis. This isn't some fringe theory; it's hard data from researchers at the Cleveland Clinic and Case Western Reserve University, covering two decades of records.
Depo-Provera has been a go-to contraceptive for roughly 25% of sexually active U.S. women, particularly convenient for its long-acting effects with quarterly injections. But the risks appear amplified for those starting after age 31 or using it for over four years, with earlier studies suggesting up to a 5.6-fold increase in meningioma risk with prolonged exposure. The number needed to harm? Just 1,152, meaning for every 1,152 women on the shot, one additional meningioma case is attributable to the drug. Scaled to millions of users, that's a public health nightmare unfolding in slow motion.
What makes this particularly egregious is the mounting evidence that Pfizer knew, or at the very least, should have known, about these dangers for decades. Lawsuits now numbering over 1,200 allege the company failed to adequately warn users, despite red flags dating back to the 1980s linking synthetic progestins like those in Depo-Provera to brain tumour growth. A 2024 study in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) had already flagged a heightened meningioma risk with prolonged use of medroxyprogesterone acetate, prompting label updates in the UK and EU, but not in the U.S.
The FDA's role here is murky at best. Pfizer claims it requested a label update in 2023 or 2024 to include meningioma risks, but the agency denied it, deeming the evidence "inconclusive." Yet, the FDA had rejected Depo-Provera's contraceptive approval for nearly 40 years prior to 1992, citing general cancer concerns. When approval finally came, a black box warning was added later, for bone density loss, not brain tumours. As of October 2025, the U.S. label still lacks a specific meningioma warning, even as lawsuits pile up and studies accumulate.
Pfizer's defence? Shift the blame to the FDA while raking in billions from a product that's been on the market since the early 1990s. But the timeline tells a different story: 1980s research on progestins and tumours, 1992 approval amid controversy, 2023 acknowledgment of "possible" links in regulatory filings, and now a "tsunami" of litigation potentially reaching 10,000 cases. Women like those in the class actions report life-altering diagnoses after years of use, with some suits filed as early as October 2024.
This scandal disproportionately affects vulnerable groups. Black women are prescribed Depo-Provera at double the national rate, amplifying the impact in communities already facing healthcare disparities. On X, users are sounding the alarm: "Over 500 women have sued Pfizer after developing meningiomas," one post notes, while another calls it "slow release poison for women." A Children's Health Defense post highlights how Pfizer markets safer alternatives abroad but not in the U.S.
Big Pharma's playbook is painfully familiar: Downplay risks, lobby regulators, and fight lawsuits tooth and nail. From opioids to COVID vaccines, the pattern repeats, profits first, transparency last. Pfizer's motion to dismiss these suits argues it tried to warn but was blocked, yet critics point out the company could have pulled the product or pushed harder if safety was truly paramount.
The takeaway? Be cautious. Question every prescription, especially from repeat offenders like Pfizer. Demand full disclosure, and support reforms that hold these corporations accountable. As one X user put it, "Are you still wondering if the theory that eugenicists are running pharmaceuticals... has validity?" In a world where "inconclusive" evidence keeps dangerous drugs on shelves, scepticism isn't just wise, it's essential for survival.
https://www.thefocalpoints.com/p/new-study-pfizers-birth-control-shot