Settlement Agreement Reached in the Canadian Depo-Provera Class Action

MONTREAL, Sept. 14, 2021 /CNW/ - A Canada-wide settlement agreement was recently reached in a class action related to the use of Depo-Provera, an injectable form of birth control, and bone mineral density loss.

In the class action, which was authorized on May 28, 2008, the representative plaintiff alleges that Pfizer misrepresented the risks associated with the use of Depo-Provera by failing to indicate that people who use Depo-Provera may experience a significant and possibly irreversible bone mineral density loss that could lead to osteopenia or osteoporosis.

Proposed Settlement

The proposed settlement applies to every person domiciled in Canada who claims to be suffering, or to have suffered, a loss of bone mineral density owing to the use of Depo-Provera before May 31, 2010, and the settlement provides for payment by the defendants of $1,913,750.00 to the class and $262,500.00 to the provincial health insurers. If the Court approves the settlement, class members who meet the eligibility criteria will receive compensation for osteopenia, osteoporosis, and fragility fractures.

The proposed settlement is not an admission of liability on the part of Pfizer, nor has there been any finding of liability by the Court against Pfizer.

Court Approval

To become effective, the proposed settlement must be approved by the Quebec Superior Court. The representative plaintiff will also ask the Court to approve the compensation protocol, which sets out the rules for awarding compensation to class members, the class counsel fees, and the applicable disbursements and taxes. The approval hearing before the Court is scheduled to proceed on October 26, 2021. It will be possible to attend the approval hearing by videoconference. Those interested in attending may visit www.depoprovera.ca to find out the exact time of the hearing and how to attend.

In order to object to the settlement or to legal fees, class members must send a written objection to [email protected] no later than October 16, 2021.

Claims Procedure

Class members can register now with the Claims Administrator at www.depoprovera.ca to be notified when they will be able to submit their claim. Those who believe they are eligible will find more information at this address about the documents they must submit in support of their claim and can now take steps to retrieve these documents.

Please note that the proposed deadline for submitting a claim is March 1, 2022.

More information on rights and options provided by the settlement agreement is available at www.depoprovera.ca.

The law firms of Belleau Lapointe s.e.n.c.r.l. and Siskinds LLP represent the Class Members and can be contacted as follows:

About Siskinds LLP
Siskinds LLP is a pioneer in class action lawsuits and has been recognized as a top-tier Canadian firm by the Chambers and Partners, a global legal review organization, in their 2022 guide. The class actions team, comprised of 25 lawyers in Ontario and Quebec, act exclusively for plaintiffs. www.siskinds.com

About Belleau Lapointe 
Belleau Lapointe is a boutique law firm based in Montréal specializing in class actions on behalf of plaintiffs and in commercial litigation. www.belleaulapointe.com

SOURCE Siskinds LLP

Media Contacts: For English language inquiries: Elizabeth deBoer, Siskinds, LLP, [email protected], Tel: [phone]; For French language inquiries: Maxime Nasr, Belleau Lapointe, s.e.n.c.r.l, [email protected], Tel: [phone]