Las Vegas woman sues Pfizer, claiming birth control shot caused brain tumors
A lawsuit was filed by two Las Vegas attorneys on behalf of a woman who claimed she developed multiple brain tumors directly linked to the use of a contraceptive injection.
Dimopoulos Law Firm and Eglet Law Group on Thursday filed the suit in U.S. District Court of Nevada against Pfizer and some generic pharmaceutical manufacturers, including Viatris, Greenstone, Prasco, Pharmacia and Upjohn Co. The lawsuit claims the companies failed to warn consumers of the risks associated with using the common injection Depo-Provera, or the “Depo Shot.”
“We are committed to holding these companies accountable for the safety of their products,” attorney Steve Dimopoulos said in a statment.
Pfizer didn’t return a message seeking comment on the lawsuit.
Plaintiff Tina Stephens-Smith, a Clark County resident, allegedly developed intracranial meningiomas, which are benign brain tumors that develop in the layers that surround the brain and spinal cord.
According to a study by the British Medical Journal, which was cited in the lawsuit, the prolonged use of the Depo Shot increased the risk of intracranial meningioma by 555 percent.
The suit is seeking compensatory, statutory and punitive damages, as well as reimbursement of attorneys fees. The damages exceed $75,000.
Stephens-Smith was first administered a Depo Shot in 2002 and regularly received the shot in three-month intervals for the next seven years. She stopped receiving them for two years and started to receive regular shots again in 2011 for the next 13 years.
In July 2023, she started receiving treatment for eye pain, swelling, blurred vision and trouble communicating, which then revealed three “densely calcified meningiomas” behind her eye and at the base of her skull, according to the suit. She underwent three surgeries and 30 radiation treatments.
Contact Emerson Drewes at edrewes@reviewjournal.com. Follow @EmersonDrewes on X.
