Takeaways
- The Supreme Court will decide on restrictions for mifepristone, the most common abortion medication in the US, marking its first abortion case post the 2022 Roe v. Wade overturn.
- Mifepristone faces limitations, including mail access halts and reduction of allowed use from 10 to 7 weeks, impacting states where abortion is legal.
- Utilized in over half of US abortions, with 5 million users since 2000, the drug is crucial in reproductive health.
- Opposition groups challenged mifepristone restrictions, gaining a victory in November 2022. FDA approval remains, but 2016 and 2021 access improvements might be reversed.
- The case involves appeals from the Biden administration and mifepristone manufacturer Danco Laboratories, emphasizing safety and efficacy based on FDA judgment since 2000.
The Supreme Court has announced its decision to determine limits on the most common abortion medication used in the United States, marking its first abortion case since the overturning of Roe v. Wade in 2022.
The drug, mifepristone, is currently facing restrictions such as halting access through mail and reducing its allowed use from up to 10 weeks in pregnancy to up to 7 weeks. These restrictions would remain in place even in states where abortion is legal.
Mifepristone is used in over half of US abortions, with use reported in over 5 million people since 2000. Opponents of abortion filed a challenge against mifepristone in November of 2022, receiving a victory 6 months later. While the FDA’s approval of mifepristone would remain in place, changes made in 2016 and 2021 to improve access to the drug would be reversed.
Justices blocked the ruling from taking effect while the case played out. The justices will hear appeals from the Biden administration and New York-based Danco Laboratories, the manufacturer of mifepristone. The administration’s appeal discussed the FDA’s scientific judgment on mifepristone’s safety and efficacy since its approval in 2000.
Restrictions on abortion have been observed since the overturn in Roe v. Wade, with 14 states banning abortion at all stages of pregnancy and 2 others banning abortion after cardiac activity can be detected. Lawyers for anti-abortion groups have challenged the use of mifepristone and urged the Supreme Court to turn away the Democratic administration’s appeals.
Health care providers have stated they would switch to misoprostol, a somewhat less effective drug than mifepristone, if mifepristone access is restricted. In the spring of 2024, the Supreme Court will begin discussing this case, with a decision likely by June.
Reference:
The Supreme Court will rule on limits on a commonly used abortion medication. AP News. December 13, 2023. Accessed December 13, 2023. https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-abortion-medication-drug-mifepristone-f763b93ef632e1767fd696caec686c21
A version of this article was initially published by our sister publication, Contemporary OB/GYN.
