Supreme Court maintains broad access to abortion pill, pending litigation

The Supreme Court on Friday opted to preserve access to mifepristone while a challenge to the Food and Drug Administration's approval of the drug makes its way through the courts.

The Biden administration and mifepristone manufacturer Danco Laboratories had appealed to the court for relief. The court did not decide on the merits of the case, which will continue through the court system, the Associated Press reported.

Mifepristone is one of two drugs used in a sort of abortion cocktail by which women may end a pregnancy via pill. The other, misoprostol, remains available by traditional prescription.

Earlier this month, a federal judge determined that the FDA did not properly review safety concerns associated with the drug when it approved it in 2000. That ruling would have effectively ended access to the most common method of abortion after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last year.

The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals opted to maintain access to the drug albeit with some restrictions, halting mail distribution and allowing prescription of the drug for women at most 7-weeks pregnant. Friday's decision halted those restrictions.

Ben Whedon is an editor and reporter for Just the News. Follow him on Twitter.