The case, concerning the Food and Drug Administration’s approval of mifepristone, will be argued early next year.
The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to weigh in on the future of mifepristone, a drug used in more than half of all abortions in the United States, setting up another major dispute over abortion rights less than two years after the court’s conservative majority voted to overturn Roe v. Wade.
The case, concerning the Food and Drug Administration’s approval of mifepristone, will be argued early next year. That means the court, which last year overturned Roe in a 6-3 decision, could rule on the issue sometime next year.
Mifepristone, when used in combination with a drug called misoprostol, offers a safe and effective mechanism to terminate a first-trimester pregnancy. Health care professionals can provide the drug in-person to patients or prescribe it virtually and mail the medication, according to 2021 and 2023 guidelines from the FDA. The mifepristone-misoprostol regimen is endorsed by authorities such as the World Health Organization.
The White House issued a statement backing the current policy. “This administration will continue to stand by FDA’s independent approval and regulation of mifepristone as safe and effective,” Press Secretary Karine Jean Pierre said. She added, “We continue to urge Congress to pass a law restoring the protections of Roe v. Wade.”
Since Roe was overturned, giving states the power to ban abortion, mifepristone has taken on an even greater significance.
