Supreme Court to Hear Abortion Pill Case on March 26
The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear arguments regarding the regulation and distribution of mifepristone, a medication used in abortion. The case stems from a decision by the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which raised questions about the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) safety considerations when it eased access to the drug in 2016. The Biden administration, alongside Danco Laboratories, the manufacturer of the branded version of mifepristone, is appealing the lower court's ruling, which could have significant implications for access to the pill in states where abortion is legal.
The court's review will examine the FDA's authority in drug regulation and address the broader implications of the agency's actions, which included allowing the pill to be prescribed online, mailed directly to patients, and made available at pharmacies. The Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) filed a lawsuit on behalf of several medical associations and doctors against the FDA, accusing the agency of putting politics before science in its approval process for chemical abortion drugs.
This issue is one of the first major abortion-related cases the Supreme Court will tackle since the landmark decision to overturn Roe v. Wade in 2022. With medication abortions accounting for approximately 54% of abortions in the U.S. in 2022, according to the Guttmacher Institute, the court's decision has the potential to affect healthcare access for millions. The oral arguments are set to take place on March 26 as part of the court's March session, which will also include a separate review of free speech concerns related to social media companies' content moderation practices, especially concerning COVID-19 vaccine information.
