Listen live: Oral arguments in the mifepristone case at the Supreme Court
Date: Tuesday, March 26, 2024
Time: 10:00 am Eastern Time (9:00 am Central Time)
Live audio feed:
Review
Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine v. FDA is disguised as a dispute over the safety of mifepristone. In reality, this case is about:
chipping away at access to medication abortion (induced miscarriage); and
“whether the courts will go along with overturning, for political reasons, the authority of the FDA as the scientific arbiter of approval of new drugs and restrictions on their distribution.” [1]
“The same U.S. Supreme Court that overturned the constitutional right to an abortion will hear oral arguments Tuesday over access to mifepristone, a pharmaceutical used in both medication abortion and miscarriage care.” [2] The court's decision in this case “will affect the entire country, including states that have sought to shore up access to reproductive rights following the Dobbs ruling less than two years ago.” [3] “If the court sides with antiabortion activists and limits or bans the use of mifepristone, the decision could undermine the FDA’s authority to regulate all drugs and medical devices, potentially putting people who depend on those products at risk of harm.” [4]
Embedded below are resources providing key information about this case.
Citations:
[1] Colón, G., & Temkin, E. (2023, December 13). In mifepristone case, the Supreme Court must affirm the FDA’s authority. Medical Innovation is at risk. STAT. https://www.statnews.com/2023/12/14/mifepristone-alliance-for-hippocratic-medicine-fda-supreme-court-innovation/
[2] Shutt, J. (2024, March 25). U.S. Supreme Court to hear oral arguments Tuesday on Abortion Pill Limits • Florida Phoenix. Florida Phoenix. https://floridaphoenix.com/2024/03/25/u-s-supreme-court-to-hear-oral-arguments-tuesday-on-abortion-pill-limits/
[3] Ibid. 2
[4] Szabo, L. (2024, March 25). The Supreme Court’s mifepristone decision could make abortions harder to access and challenge the FDA’s authority to regulate all drugs and devices. Scientific American. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-the-supreme-courts-mifepristone-ruling-could-affect-abortion-access-and/