Washington, D.C. — Today, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that mifepristone, the drug that is part of a two-step regimen approved for medication abortion, will remain accessible. The justices ruled unanimously that anti-abortion plaintiffs lacked standing to challenge the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) actions and have reversed yet another extremist ruling from the far-right 5th Circuit Court of Appeals. In response, Sabrina Talukder, director of the Women’s Initiative at the Center for American Progress, issued the following statement:
Today’s ruling highlights what we have long known: Mifepristone is safe and effective. This case was another attempt by the anti-abortion movement to ban abortion care by any means necessary, even if it meant politicizing medicine and thwarting the independence of the FDA. As today’s ruling proves, medical experts, not justices, should be the ones making decisions about drug safety. Doctors, patients, and the FDA know that this drug is safe and effective, and any restrictions to mifepristone access would be a giant step backward for safe and effective reproductive care.
Related resources: “Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine v. FDA: Legal Standing and the Impact on Abortion Access” by Sabrina Talukder
For more information or to speak with an expert, please contact Sarah Nadeau at [email protected].