Supreme Court to Decide Fate of Abortion Drug Mifepristone, with Implications for Access Across the United States.

The fate of mifepristone, the abortion drug used widely for over two decades across the United States, may rest in the hands of the U.S. Supreme Court. Danco Laboratories, the drugmaker of the abortion pill, has asked the Supreme Court to review a lower court’s decision limiting access to the pill, the company announced in a news release Friday.

The Fifth Circuit upheld the Food and Drug Administration’s approval of the widely used medication, but with significant hurdles to patient access. Danco is asking the Supreme Court to reverse the appellate court ruling that would prevent women from obtaining the drug by mail order and would prohibit the pill after seven weeks of pregnancy.

The court’s decision to ax the nationwide right to abortion by overturning Roe v. Wade last year was widely credited for fueling strong voter turnout in the 2022 midterm elections. If the Supreme Court takes up the case as part of its fall docket, it will mean a decision would likely come down in 2024, with months left before the next presidential election.

The Supreme Court has yet to decide whether it will take up the case, but the decision could have far-reaching implications for access to abortion in the United States. The court’s ruling could either expand or limit access to the medication, depending on the outcome.

The outcome of the case could have a major impact on the availability of the abortion pill in the United States. Danco Laboratories is hoping that the Supreme Court will overturn the lower court’s ruling and restore access to the medication for women across the country.