Judge Orders Mifepristone Off U.S. Market

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 7, 2023

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Today, Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk, a federal Trump-appointed judge in Texas ruled in a lawsuit filed by far-right hate group the Alliance Defending Freedom, and put on hold the FDA’s approval of mifepristone. The ruling will not go into effect for seven days to give the government time to appeal.

Statement from Melissa Fowler, Chief Program Officer at the National Abortion Federation:

Today’s ruling is appalling, though not in the least bit surprising to any of us in the fight for reproductive freedom. This is a painful reminder that anti-abortion extremists will stop at nothing to take away our right to life-saving abortion care, including sowing chaos and confusion for abortion seekers.

Let’s be clear: This ruling has nothing to do with the efficacy and safety of mifepristone, which has been well-established for decades. Anti-abortion opponents’ goal is to block access to abortion by banning care or making it too difficult and complicated for patients to seek care where abortion remains legal. We won’t let that happen. We have been working in advance of this decision to ensure our national network of member providers can continue providing compassionate, clinically sound, evidence-based care to patients. Simultaneously, the NAF Hotline will continue to give abortion seekers the accurate information, resources, and support they need to access the abortion care they deserve.

Despite this ruling, medication abortion is still available. If you need information about your options, you can call the National Abortion Hotline: 1-800-772-9100.