The Director of the Food and Drug Administration, Marty McCurry, expressed his intention to review the abortion medication Mifepristone in correspondence with Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.).
“As with all medications, the FDA is continuously monitoring safety data from Mifepristone for medical termination in early pregnancy,” McCurry noted. He emphasized his commitment to engaging with professional scientists at the agency to assess this data.
However, McCurry didn’t offer specifics about future assessments, particularly since abortion drugs are currently involved in ongoing legal disputes.
Senator Hawley has previously pushed for reviews of medication. Recently, he urged McCurry to look into new information concerning Mifepristone and called for the reinstatement of essential safety measures related to its usage.
In the same letter, Hawley voiced discontent with McCurry’s lack of planned action concerning Mifepristone.
The new data Hawley referenced was derived from a study released in April, which originates from the Ethics and Public Policy Center, a conservative think tank known for opposing progressive policies.
This group claims that approximately 11% of women undergoing an abortion with Mifepristone experience “serious adverse events,” a significant leap from the 0.5% rate indicated in earlier clinical studies.
Yet, the study has faced criticism for its validity, as it has been described as containing “junk science.” It fails to detail the source of the nearly 865,000 insurance claims tied to Mifepristone abortions clearly.
Additionally, while the study categorizes “severe adverse events,” many incidents are lumped into vague classifications termed “other abortion-specific complications.”
Mifepristone was initially approved by the FDA for abortion in 2000, used alongside misoprostol in a two-drug regimen.
Crucially, medication abortions can be conducted outside of clinical settings. Patients might receive pills at clinics for home use or even have them mailed.
Extensive research—over 100 studies—has been conducted to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of Mifepristone and misoprostol, all concluding that these medications are a safe method for terminating a pregnancy.
Medication abortions constitute the majority of all abortions in the United States. In 2023, medication abortions accounted for 63% of all abortions performed by clinicians nationwide, based on data from the Reproductive Health and Rights Group.
In legal matters, three Republican-led states—Idaho, Missouri, and Kansas—have initiated lawsuits against the FDA, contesting Mifepristone’s initial approval. The Supreme Court dismissed a similar case last year, asserting that private entities lack the legal standing to challenge drug access.
Nonetheless, a federal judge in Texas ruled in January that the three states could continue their legal efforts to limit access to Mifepristone.
Additionally, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Director of Health and Human Services, is pushing for a review of the drug, while former President Trump claimed it would be “impossible” for him to revoke its access following his election victory last November.
