Pfizer has settled most, but not all, of the Depo-Provera meningioma lawsuits. The agreement was reached in principle on June 15, 2026 and signed in July. The parties expect about 80% of the federal cases in MDL 3140 to qualify. Eligible claimants must register by November 30, 2026, and payments are projected to start in early 2027.
The total amount is confidential. Claims filed too late, or where the diagnosis came too long after the last injection, are excluded. Those cases, and any new ones, now depend on two rulings still to come: whether the plaintiffs’ experts can testify, and whether Pfizer’s preemption defense succeeds.
How the Depo-Provera litigation reached a settlement
From a single French study to more than 6,500 federal filings in under three years. Upcoming dates are shown with a dashed marker.
- Mar 2024A BMJ study links the shot to meningioma.A French national case-control study found that prolonged use of medroxyprogesterone acetate was associated with a higher risk of intracranial meningioma. The first U.S. lawsuits followed later that year.
- Feb 2025Federal cases centralized as MDL 3140.The Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation sent the cases to Judge M. Casey Rodgers in the Northern District of Florida.
- Dec 17, 2025FDA approves a meningioma warning.The new U.S. label weakened Pfizer’s argument that the FDA would have rejected a warning, and filings surged.
- Jan 20261,752 federal cases pending.
- Jun 15, 2026Settlement agreed in principle.Pretrial Order 30A confirmed the deal. The first bellwether trial, set for December 7, 2026, was taken off the calendar.
- Jul 2026Master Settlement Agreement signed.The parties projected that payments would begin in the first quarter of 2027.
- Jul 21, 2026Pfizer raises the time bar.Pfizer argued that cases filed after March 27, 2026 may be time-barred in states with a two-year statute of limitations.
- Aug 10, 2026Registration deadline set.Case Management Order 14 set November 30, 2026 as the registration deadline and listed the categories of excluded claims.
- Sep 15, 2026Preemption sent to the magistrate judge.Pfizer’s preemption motion was referred to Magistrate Judge Hope T. Cannon for a report and recommendation.
- Sep 18, 2026Rule 702 hearing held.Judge Rodgers heard argument on the plaintiffs’ general causation experts. An order is to follow.
- Nov 20266,413 pending, 6,525 filed in total.November JPML report.
- Nov 30, 2026Registration closes.Plaintiffs’ responses to Pfizer’s supplemental preemption brief are due the same day.
- Dec 2026State preemption hearing and federal conference.Pfizer’s preemption motion is tentatively set for hearing in California state court on December 2. A federal case management conference is set for December 18.
- Q1 2027First settlement payments expected.
Who the Depo-Provera settlement covers
Eligibility is set by the confidential agreement, so no public document lists every rule. This is what the court orders and reporting confirm.
Federal MDL 3140
About 80% of pending cases
The parties estimate that roughly four in five federal cases will qualify. Applied to the 6,412 cases pending on October 1, that is about 5,130 cases in and 1,280 out, an estimate rather than a count.
State court
New York claims included
The agreement is intended to resolve most claims in the federal MDL and in New York state court. How it treats other state dockets has not been publicly detailed.
Retained by June 11, 2026
A separate filing route
Claimants who retained a lawyer on or before June 11, 2026, and who otherwise qualify, have their own administrative filing process. That date is not a general deadline for new lawsuits.
What falls outside the settlement
Case Management Order 14, entered on August 10, 2026, names the categories that do not qualify. The exact cutoffs have not been made public.
- Claims filed too late. Cases where legal action against Pfizer began after a cutoff date set in the agreement.
- Claims outside the timing window. Cases where the gap between the last injection and the meningioma diagnosis falls outside the required range.
- Claims that miss other requirements. The agreement sets further criteria that have not been disclosed.
- Claimants who don’t register. Eligible claimants must register by November 30, 2026.
How much will Depo-Provera claimants be paid?
Nobody outside the deal knows yet. The total and the payout grid are confidential, and no individual award has been published.
The total is confidential
Pfizer and plaintiffs’ leadership have not disclosed the overall amount or how it will be split between claimants.
A supplemental fund exists
A Supplemental Compensation Fund overseen by Matt Garretson may add to some awards. Its criteria and amounts are not public, and extra payments are not guaranteed.
Online figures are speculation
Ranges such as $75,000 to $1.5 million per claim have circulated in legal-industry commentary. They are not confirmed payouts, and we don’t use them to value cases.
Payments start in 2027
The parties have projected that the first payments will go out in the first quarter of 2027, once claims are registered and reviewed.
For how other mass torts have paid out, see our mass tort settlement amounts by tort.
What is still to be decided
The settlement takes most cases off the table, but the rulings below will set the value of everything left, including every case signed from now on.
Heard September 18, 2026
The Rule 702 ruling
Judge Rodgers will decide whether the plaintiffs’ general causation experts can testify. If they can’t, cases outside the settlement lose the expert evidence they need to show the shot causes meningioma.
Federal and California
Pfizer’s preemption defense
Pfizer argues that federal law blocked it from adding a warning sooner. A magistrate judge will recommend a ruling in the MDL, and a California state court is set to hear the same argument on December 2.
Two-year states
The time-bar fight
Pfizer says later filings may be too late in states with a two-year limit. Diagnosis dates, not injection dates, will decide which cases survive. Check the statute of limitations by state.
What the settlement means for Depo-Provera leads
A signed settlement changes which Depo-Provera cases are worth acquiring and how much screening each one needs. Here is how we see it.
The docket is not closed
About one federal case in five falls outside the deal, state dockets continue, and the federal docket was still growing in November. Women diagnosed with meningioma after long-term use still need a firm to pursue their claim.
New cases carry more risk
Cases signed now are unlikely to fit the settlement grid. Their value depends on the Rule 702 and preemption rulings, so a weakly documented claimant is a liability, not an asset.
Documentation is the product now
Before the settlement, volume built leverage. Now every case outside it has to stand on its own records. Exposure often goes back 15 years or more, and claimants often can’t produce their own injection history.
That is why every Depo-Provera lead we deliver is screened against the points on the right before it reaches your intake team. A lead that fails one is flagged, and one that doesn’t match your written criteria is replaced free.
Depo-Provera settlement FAQ
Short answers based on court orders and reporting through November 5, 2026.
How much is the Depo-Provera settlement worth?
Pfizer and plaintiffs’ leadership have not disclosed the total settlement amount or any payout grid. Individual payments depend on criteria in the confidential settlement agreement, and a Supplemental Compensation Fund may add to some awards. Per-case figures circulating online are speculation, not confirmed amounts.
What is the Depo-Provera settlement registration deadline?
Eligible claimants must register for the settlement program by November 30, 2026, under Case Management Order 14. It is a registration deadline for the settlement program, not a universal deadline for filing new Depo-Provera lawsuits.
How many Depo-Provera cases does the settlement cover?
The parties have estimated that about 80% of federal MDL 3140 cases will be eligible. With 6,413 cases pending in the November 2026 JPML report, that suggests roughly 1,200 to 1,300 federal cases could fall outside the deal, although the exact number depends on confidential criteria.
Which Depo-Provera claims are excluded from the settlement?
Case Management Order 14 excludes claims where legal action against Pfizer began too late and claims where the time between the last injection and the meningioma diagnosis falls outside a required window. The exact cutoffs and other requirements are in the confidential agreement.
When will Depo-Provera settlement payments be made?
The parties have projected that settlement payments will begin in the first quarter of 2027. That is a projection, not a guaranteed date.
Can law firms still sign new Depo-Provera cases?
Yes. The settlement does not close the litigation. Cases outside the deal continue in MDL 3140 and in state courts, and they depend on the pending Rule 702 and preemption rulings. That makes documentation of brand-name injections, imaging-confirmed meningioma and a timely diagnosis date more important than before.
Sources
- U.S. District Court, N.D. Florida, “In re: Depo-Provera Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 3140.” flnd.uscourts.gov
- U.S. District Court, N.D. Florida, Pretrial Order No. 30A. flnd.uscourts.gov
- AboutLawsuits.com, “Depo-Provera Settlement Deadline Set for Nov. 30, With Some Meningioma Claims Excluded,” Oct 22, 2026. aboutlawsuits.com
- MDL Update, “MDL 3140 Depo-Provera,” updated Nov 2, 2026. mdlupdate.com
- Drugwatch, “Depo-Provera MDL 3140 Updates & Analysis,” updated Nov 2, 2026. drugwatch.com
- Drugwatch, “Depo-Provera Settlement (2026): Payouts & Eligibility.” drugwatch.com
- Roland et al., “Use of progestogens and the risk of intracranial meningioma: national case-control study,” The BMJ, Mar 27, 2024. bmj.com
Disclaimer: This page is published by Injury Case Claims, LLC, a legal marketing and plaintiff acquisition company. It is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice. Settlement information comes from public court records and news reporting and may change as the litigation develops. Eligibility for the Depo-Provera settlement is governed by a confidential agreement, and nothing here is a prediction or guarantee of eligibility, outcome or compensation. Anyone who believes they may have a claim should consult a licensed attorney in their state. Depo-Provera is a trademark of Pfizer Inc.; Injury Case Claims is not affiliated with or endorsed by Pfizer.
