Malawian women beware: DEP0 is linked to brain tumour risk

Women involved in the legal action allege they developed brain tumours after years of using the injection and claim they were not adequately warned about the potential risks. Evidence shows that prolonged usage of Depo can cause blindness, seizure and hearing loss. A study published in the British Medical Journal in 2024 found that prolonged use of medroxyprogesterone acetate, the active ingredient in Depo-Provera, was associated with a 5.6-fold increased risk of intracranial meningioma, a tumour that develops in the tissues surrounding the brain and spinal cord.

Meningiomas are usually non-cancerous and often grow slowly, but they can still cause serious health problems. Symptoms may include severe headaches, seizures, vision problems, hearing loss and memory difficulties. In some cases, patients require complex brain surgery.

Court documents filed in the United States allege that Pfizer failed to adequately warn women and healthcare providers about the potential risks associated with long-term use of the contraceptive. Pfizer has said it is aware of the potential risk associated with prolonged use of certain progestogen-based medicines and has updated warning labels in parts of Europe and Canada. The company told Sky News that it conducts “rigorous and continuous monitoring” of all its medicines, including assessments of reported adverse events in collaboration with health authorities around the world.

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The American pharmaceutical giant has also urged women to speak to their doctors, pharmacists or nurses if they have concerns or experience possible side effects. The findings are likely to fuel debate among millions of women worldwide who rely on injectable contraceptives as a family-planning method. However, questions remain about whether similar warning labels have been introduced in many African and Asian countries where Depo-Provera continues to be widely used.

In African countries like Malawi, South Africa, Kenya, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Ghana and Zambia, the contraceptive remains one of the most commonly used family-planning methods and is available through both public and private healthcare facilities. It is widely used by particularlyyoung women, which makes prolonged usage inevitable. Critics argue that women everywhere should have access to the same safety information regardless of where they live, while supporters of the drug point out that the studies identify an increased risk rather than proving that the contraceptive directly causes brain tumours.

The legal cases against Pfizer remain ongoing and no court has yet determined liability. Nevertheless, the controversy is raising fresh questions about drug safety, informed consent and whether women in developing countries are receiving the same warnings available elsewhere in the world. Pfizer has said it is “aware of this potential risk associated with long-term use of progestogens” and has also updated label warnings in Canada and Europe.” However, there was mention of what action was being undertaken to warn women in countries like Malawi.

The company told UK’S Sky News it “conducts rigorous and continuous monitoring” of all its medicines, “including assessments of reported adverse events, in collaboration with health authorities around the globe”. The company urged people to “talk to their doctors, pharmacists or nurses if they have any concerns or experience any side effects” This site uses Akismet to reduce spam.Learn how your comment data is processed.

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