FDA to Review Chemical Abortion Drugs Following New Study

On Wednesday, Health and Human Services Director Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced that he has instructed the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to carry out a “complete review” of abortion drugs, specifically focusing on mifepristone.

“That’s really striking,” RFK Jr. commented on a recent study from the Center for Ethics & Public Policy, which indicated that nearly 11% of women who used mifepristone faced “severe adverse events.”

At a Senate Health, Labor, Education and Pensions Committee hearing, he shared that he had asked FDA Director Marty McCurry to provide a thorough review and report.

The review comes in response to findings suggesting that mifepristone may not be as safe as previously thought. The Center’s study analyzed insurance data for over 865,000 mifepristone prescriptions between 2017 and 2023.

This research revealed that 10.93% of women experienced serious complications, such as sepsis or severe bleeding, within 45 days of taking the drug.

During the hearing, Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) highlighted the study, pointing out that the reported severe adverse event rate for mifepristone was “22 times higher than what the FDA currently reflects on its label.”

“At the very least, it suggests the need for updated labeling,” Kennedy Jr. responded to Hawley.

Mifepristone was initially approved by the FDA back in 2000.

The Center for Ethics & Public Policy, which released its findings last month, urged the FDA to implement more stringent safety protocols to better hold physicians accountable regarding mifepristone and to ensure that side effects are comprehensively reported.

“The FDA must investigate the potential harms of mifepristone to women and seriously reassess its approval based on established safety standards,” the organization concluded.

Originally, the FDA authorized mifepristone for medical abortions up to seven weeks into pregnancy, a timeframe that was extended to ten weeks under former President Barack Obama.

Additionally, former President Joe Biden facilitated FDA approval for mifepristone prescriptions to be available online or via mail, a ruling supported by the Supreme Court last year.

The Washington, D.C.-based Center for Ethics and Public Policy is known for applying Jewish and Christian perspectives to contemporary legal and political issues while promoting civic and cultural renewal in America, as stated on its website.