The United States Supreme Court reenters the contentious legal battle over abortion as it considers restrictions on the drug most widely used in the country to terminate pregnancies.
Anti-abortion groups are seeking to ban the drug mifepristone, claiming it is unsafe despite its long track record.
This case originates from a ruling by a conservative US District Court judge in Texas, appointed by former Republican President Donald Trump, which would have prohibited mifepristone.
A conservative-dominated appeals court overturned the outright ban but limited access to the drug.
Danco Laboratories, the maker of mifepristone, and the administration of Democratic President Joe Biden have appealed the lower court’s restrictions to the Supreme Court.
The highest court, where conservatives hold a 6-3 majority, has temporarily frozen the rulings, leaving the drug available for the time being.
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The FDA approved mifepristone in 2000 for use up to seven weeks of pregnancy and loosened regulations further in 2016, allowing its use up to 10 weeks.
During the Covid pandemic, in-person dispensing requirements were lifted, enabling distribution by mail and remote prescription via telemedicine.
The appeals court decision would revert the legal limit for mifepristone use to seven weeks, prohibit mail delivery, and mandate prescription and administration by a doctor.
This legal battle occurs amid increasing use of medication abortion in the US, which accounted for 63 percent of abortions last year.
Some 20 states have restricted or banned abortion since the Supreme Court overturned the Roe v. Wade ruling in June 2022.
The Supreme Court is expected to issue a decision on the abortion pill case by the end of June, just ahead of the presidential election, where abortion is likely to be a prominent issue.
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