US Supreme Court preserves abortion drug access amid legal battle

The US Supreme Court on April 21, preserved the access to a commonly used abortion pill, marking a significant moment of respite for abortion rights in the country. The court has ruled that the drug can remain available until a differentappealed case in the matter reaches its conclusion.

The Supreme Court blocked the restrictions on drug's use set by ajudge in Texas in the latest fierce legal battle over abortion rights in the United States.

The justices, in a brief order, granted emergency requests by the Justice Department and the pill's manufacturer Danco Laboratories to put on hold an April 7 preliminary injunction issued by US District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk in Texas.

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The judge's order would greatly limit the availability of mifepristone while litigation proceeds in a challenge by anti-abortion groups to its federal regulatory approval.

ALSO READ |US Supreme Court temporarily preserves access to abortion pill mifepristone

Biden said in a statement issued by the White House, "As a result of the Supreme Court's stay, mifepristone remains available and approved for safe and effective use while we continue this fight in the courts."

"The stakes could not be higher for women across America. I will continue to fight politically driven attacks on women's health," Biden added.

Meanwhile, two Justices Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito publicly dissented from the decision.

Alito, in a brief opinion, wrote that the administration and Danco "are not entitled to a stay because they have not shown that they are likely to suffer irreparable harm in the interim."

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the U.S. agency that signs off on the safety of food products, drugs and medical devices, approved mifepristone in 2000. The current case could undercut federal regulatory authority over drug safety.

Biden's administration is seeking to defend mifepristone in the face of mounting abortion bans and restrictions enacted by Republican-led states since the Supreme Court in June 2022 overturned the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that had legalised the procedure nationwide.

"I continue to stand by FDA's evidence-based approval of mifepristone, and my administration will continue to defend FDA's independent, expert authority to review, approve and regulate a wide range of prescription drugs," Biden said.

Mifepristone is taken with another drug called misoprostol to perform medication abortion, which accounts for more than half of all abortions in the United States. The drug also has other uses, such as the management of miscarriages.

(With inputs from agencies)

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