WASHINGTON — Mifepristone, the most widely used drug for medication abortion, made headlines in April when a federal district judge in Texas called the FDA’s approval of the drug fundamentally flawed. Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine v. FDA was appealed to the Supreme Court, where the justices issued a stay of approval to preserve access to mifepristone while the Fifth Circuit hears oral arguments.
Supreme Court reporter Jimmy Hoover says this case is far from over and could affect more than just reproductive rights.
“It’s a fairly novel idea that a federal judge can effectively second guess what the Food and Drug Administration does with respect to its scientific judgment about the safety and efficacy of medication on the market,” Hoover said.
But understanding how the drug’s journey in the court system works is part of a bigger story surrounding misunderstandings about reproductive health.
Medill News Service reporter Alexa Erbach dives into the intricacies of the case and context around mifepristone.