Supreme Court Preserves Women’s Access to Abortion Drug
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Friday evening ruled that women will continue to have access to the abortion pill mifepristone while the Biden administration appeals restrictions ordered by a lower federal court.
In a brief order, the justices granted emergency requests from the Biden administration and New York-based Danco Laboratories, the maker of mifepristone.
As previously reported by The Well News, they are appealing a ruling by a federal judge in Texas that would roll back Food and Drug Administration approval of mifepristone.
Justices Samuel Alito Jr., the author of last year’s Dobbs decision overturning Roe v. Wade, and Clarence Thomas voted to allow restrictions to take effect. As is their custom in orders of this type, none of the justices in the majority explained their rationale for the decision.
Mifepristone was approved by the FDA 20 years ago after an extensive review and since 2000 has been used by more than 5 million women to terminate a pregnancy.
Mifepristone is used in combination with a second drug, misoprostol, in more than half of all abortions in the United States.
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