Supreme Court Rejects Challenge to Abortion Pill Mifepristone

Two years after erasing the constitutional right to abortion, the Supreme Court on Thursday unanimously voted to protect access to the widely-used abortion pill, mifepristone.

This is the first major abortion case the high court has heard since it overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022.

— Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine v. FDA

The Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine, an anti-abortion group, filed the initial lawsuit in November 2022, arguing that the FDA did not properly vet the drug's safety. A conservative federal judge appointed by Former President Trump sided with them.

Evidence of the drug's safety and efficacy was provided by the FDA and Danco Laboratories, its producer, in their filings.

Mifepristone:

• First approved in 2000
• Used in ~2/3 of abortions in the US
• Can be prescribed via telehealth/mail/pharmacists

What you need to know about medication abortion in the U.S.

The Ruling:

Justice Kavanaugh wrote that plaintiffs couldn't sue based on a "desire to make a drug less available," citing potential detrimental effects on the healthcare system. Federal law already protects doctors from performing abortions or providing treatment against their values.

Texas Abortion Law:

Texas bans nearly all abortions, except to save the mother's life/health. This has been the case since the Roe v. Wade overturn, with various laws enacted, including the 2021 Human Life Protection Act.