New lawsuit before Supreme Court will significantly reduce use of abortion drug in US
A core aspect of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) mission is to safeguard public health by ensuring the safety, effectiveness, and security of human and veterinary drugs. This responsibility extends beyond just the food we consume to include the medications and treatments we rely on daily.
In a case headed to the Supreme Court later this month, plaintiffs allege the FDA has fallen short in upholding this duty, particularly concerning its decisions regarding high-risk abortion medications. In 2016, the agency began dismantling crucial safety standards initially established when approving the abortion drug mifepristone in 2000.
Now, medical professionals are pushing back against the FDA’s irresponsible actions. Alliance Defending Freedom is advocating on their behalf, challenging the agency’s removal of vital safety standards for pregnant individuals. The U.S. Supreme Court is set to hear arguments in the case—U.S. Food and Drug Administration v. Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine—on March 26.
Significant harm and life-threatening action of FDA the balance
The plaintiffs allege the FDA’s actions have led to significant harm, including life-threatening situations for women and girls across the country. By allowing chemical abortions at home without medical supervision, the FDA has exposed individuals to unnecessary risks, as evidenced by the high emergency room admission rates among those using abortion drugs.
The doctors bringing the case against the FDA allege they’ve seen firsthand the detrimental effects caused by the FDA’s decisions, prompting them to take a stand.
The Center for Reproductive Rights argues that the drug “has established a well-documented safety record, as demonstrated by its real-world use by more than five million people as well as hundreds of additional high-quality studies.”
The case challenges the FDA’s initial approval of mifepristone and recent decisions by the FDA to increase access to the drug.
The lawsuit is critical for pro-life advocates as access to the most common medication abortion regimen used in the U.S. would end —even in states that have allowed abortion even after the overturning of Roe v. Wade in 2023.
What is mifepristone?
Mifepristone, also known as the abortion pill or RU-486, is a medication used in combination with misoprostol to induce abortion in early pregnancy. It is approved for use in many countries, including the United States, for terminating pregnancies up to 10 weeks gestation. Mifepristone works by blocking the hormone progesterone, which is needed for the pregnancy to continue. This causes the lining of the uterus to break down, leading to the detachment of the embryo and ultimately inducing a miscarriage and increasing the risk of complications.
