Texas federal Judge said that he would soon rule on whether to order a preliminary injunction directing the FDA to revoke its approval for a well-known abortion drug.
A lawsuit filed in November seeks to revoke the Federal Drug Administration’s approval of mifepristone, a drug used in medicinal abortions. The controversial suit could disrupt access nationwide, even in states where abortion remains legal.
Federal District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk of the Northern District of Texas, said Wednesday he would rule as soon as possible on a preliminary injunction that could take mifepristone off the market, at least temporarily.
Kacsmaryk was appointed by Trump and heard over four hours worth of legal arguments. The suit, filed by a far-right anti-abortion group called the Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine, alleges the FDA erred in approving the drug in 2000 under a regulation that allows fast-tracked drug approvals for “serious or life-threatening illnesses.”
Erik Baptist of Alliance Defending Freedom spoke on behalf the plaintiffs. He said that the contrast between the illnesses and FDA’s attempt to force pregnancy into… FDA regulations couldn’t be starker.
About half of all abortions in the United States are performed with drugs. The legal and medical challenges surrounding the medication have intensified since last year’s U.S. Supreme Court decision to revoke federal protections that allowed for the obtaining of medical procedures.
Medical experts say that a combination of misoprostol and mifepristone is 98% effective for ending pregnancies lasting up to 10 weeks.
Biden Administration has stated that it would be unusual and dangerous to reverse a 23-year old FDA approval.
Justice Department lawyers wrote that it would be worse for the health of patients who use mifepristone in order to end pregnancies safely and effectively.