Pro-Life Group Calls for Mifepristone Withdrawal Over Safety Concerns and Accessibility
Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America has called for the withdrawal of the approval of mifepristone, an abortion drug. The organization argues that its increased accessibility, under the Biden administration, may lead to coercion and harm to women. Payton Pritchard, the group's Political Communications Director, has raised concerns about the drug's potential dangers and its impact on states' rights.
Mifepristone, also known as RU-486, was first approved under President Bill Clinton in 2000. Pritchard noted that Clinton advocated for its approval, classifying pregnancy as an illness to expedite the process. The drug's accessibility has since increased, with over 60% of the 1.1 million annual abortions in the U.S. being food-induced.
Pritchard argued that the Biden administration has made abortion drugs more accessible, leading to potential coercion and poisoning of women. She criticized the FDA's approval of a generic version of mifepristone, stating that generic drugs do not require independent data on their safety and effectiveness. HHS Communications Director Andrew Nixon confirmed the FDA's limited discretion in approving generic drugs. Pritchard also noted that Secretary Xavier Becerra and Commissioner Robert Califf have promised to review fresh data on mifepristone's dangers but could immediately reinstate accessibility standards from President Trump's first term.
Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America's call for the withdrawal of mifepristone's approval highlights ongoing debates about abortion access, states' rights, and drug safety. HHS is currently studying the drug's reported adverse effects to ensure the FDA's risk mitigation program is sufficient. The organization's criticism of the FDA's approval process for generic mifepristone raises questions about the balance between accessibility and safety in food care.
