Unanimous Supreme Court preserves access to widely used abortion medication

WASHINGTON (AP) — The US Supreme Court on Thursday ruled unanimously to preserve access to the abortion pill mifepristone, a pill used in the most common way to end a pregnancy.

The medication was used in nearly two-thirds of all abortions in the United States last year.

The ruling is the court's first abortion decision since conservative justices overturned Roe v Wade two years ago.

The justices ruled that abortion opponents lacked the legal right to sue over the federal Food and Drug Administration's approval of the medication, mifepristone, and the FDA's subsequent actions to ease access to it.

Justice Brett Kavanaugh wrote for the court that "federal courts are the wrong forum for addressing the plaintiffs' concerns about FDA's actions." Kavanaugh was part of the majority to overturn Roe.

The case had threatened to restrict access to mifepristone across the country, including in states where abortion remains legal.

The New York-based Danco Laboratories, which makes mifepristone, said the US Supreme Court decision on Thursday "safeguards access to a drug that has decades of safe and effective use."

The drugmaker also said the ruling maintains "the stability of the (Food and Drug Administration) drug approval process, which is based on the agency's expertise and on which patients, healthcare providers and the US pharmaceutical industry rely."

The decision by a US district court judge out of Texas last year that catapulted this case to the Supreme Court marked the first time a court had issued a decision to revoke approval of a drug the FDA had deemed safe.

An open letter signed by nearly 300 biotech and pharmaceutical company leaders last year slammed the Texas ruling as undermining Congress' delegated authority to the FDA to approve and regulate drugs. If justices can unilaterally overturn drug approvals, they said, "any medicine is at risk."

Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, a lobbying group representing US pharmaceutical companies, applauded Thursday's ruling, saying, "We are pleased to see today's decision from the US Supreme Court which helps provide innovative biopharmaceutical companies the certainty needed to bring future medicines to patients."

Follow The Gleaner on X and Instagram @JamaicaGleaner and on Facebook @GleanerJamaica. Send us a message on WhatsApp at 1-876-499-0169 or email us at onlinefeedback@gleanerjm.com or editors@gleanerjm.com.