In a gripping legal battle that underscores the intersection of healthcare and corporate responsibility, Tyra Coffil has filed a lawsuit against several pharmaceutical giants, including Pfizer Inc., Viatris Inc., Greenstone LLC, Prasco LLC, Pharmacia & Upjohn Co. LLC, and Pharmacia LLC. The complaint was lodged in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana on December 19, 2024. Coffil's case centers around severe health complications she attributes to the use of Depo-Provera, a contraceptive drug manufactured and distributed by these companies.
The plaintiff, Tyra Coffil, claims that her prolonged use of Depo-Provera led to the development of an intracranial meningioma—a type of brain tumor—along with other serious side effects. She argues that the defendants were aware or should have been aware of these risks for decades but failed to adequately warn users or healthcare providers. According to the complaint, several scientific studies have linked progesterone and its synthetic analogue progestin—key components in Depo-Provera—to an increased risk of developing such tumors. Despite this knowledge, Coffil alleges that Pfizer and its associated companies did not update their U.S. product labels to reflect these dangers, even though similar warnings are present in European and Canadian markets.
Coffil's legal team asserts that the pharmaceutical companies engaged in wrongful conduct by continuing to market and sell Depo-Provera without sufficient warnings about its potential risks. The complaint highlights how Pfizer maintained control over the New Drug Application (NDA) for Depo-Provera since acquiring Pharmacia & Upjohn in 2002 and how it failed to make necessary label changes despite emerging evidence from studies like those published in prestigious journals such as BMJ and Cancers.
The plaintiff is seeking a range of damages from the court, including general and compensatory damages for her injuries, statutory damages for violations of consumer protection laws, punitive damages aimed at punishing the defendants' alleged negligence and deterring future misconduct, as well as attorneys’ fees and costs associated with bringing forth this lawsuit.
Representing Tyra Coffil are attorneys whose names are not specified within this document. The case is being presided over by judges whose identities are also not disclosed here under Case ID 2:24-cv-02913.