On Wednesday, a federal appeals court heard arguments over access to mifepristone, a drug commonly used in a two-pill regimen to provide abortion and miscarriage care. Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images hide caption
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mifepristone
The drug manufacturer GenBioPro received FDA approval for its generic version of the abortion pill mifepristone — the first dose in a widely-used, two-drug protocol — in 2019. Sarah McCammon/NPR hide caption
Boxes containing doses of the abortion pill mifepristone are laid out at the Hope Clinic in Illinois. The Comstock Act of 1873, which outlawed the distribution of "obscene" materials such as contraception, is being cited as a basis for blocking the mailing of mifepristone. Sarah McCammon/NPR hide caption
Demonstrators rally in support of abortion rights at the Supreme Court in Washington, D.C., on Saturday. Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images hide caption
Packages of Mifepfex, the brand-name version of mifepristone, seen at a family planning clinic in Rockville, Md. Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images hide caption
Here's what really happened during the abortion drug's approval 23 years ago
A patient prepares to take mifepristone during a visit to an abortion provider in Kansas City, Kan., in October. A federal judge's preliminary injunction invalidating the FDA's approval of the common abortion medication could have far-reaching effects if it's allowed to stand. Charlie Riedel/AP hide caption
The Justice Department had asked the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans for an emergency stay of an abortion pill ruling by a federal judge in Texas while the court hears the case. Jonathan Bachman/AP hide caption
U.S. appeals court preserves partial access to abortion pill, but with tighter rules
A patient prepares to take the first of two pills for a medication abortion during a visit to a clinic in Kansas City, Kan., on Wednesday, Oct. 12, 2022. Charlie Riedel/AP hide caption
A federal judge in Texas ruled that U.S. Food and Drug Administration improperly approved an abortion pill over 20 years ago, testing the agency's authority. Jacquelyn Martin/AP hide caption
How an abortion pill ruling could threaten the FDA's regulatory authority
Mifepristone was approved more than 20 years ago to induce first-trimester abortions in combination with a second drug, misoprostol. Charlie Neibergall/AP hide caption
Misoprostol is typically used as part of a two-drug protocol for a medication abortion. But it is also safe and effective when used alone, doctors say. ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty Images hide caption
Medication abortion is still possible with just one drug. Here's how it works
Mifepristone is part of a two-drug protocol that a recent study showed was used in 98% of medication abortions in 2020. Allen G. Breed/AP hide caption
Judges' dueling decisions put access to a key abortion drug in jeopardy nationwide
Mifepristone is one of two pills used in medication abortions and is used in the vast majority of such abortions in the United State. Allen G. Breed/AP hide caption
The J. Marvin Jones Federal Building and Mary Lou Robinson United States Courthouse in Amarillo, Texas, where U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk will decide on a lawsuit over the abortion drug mifepristone. Justin Rex/AP hide caption
Abortion-rights supporters rally at the Texas State Capitol on Sept. 11, 2021 in Austin, Texas. Jordan Vonderhaar/Getty Images hide caption
Walgreens announced last week that it'd stop selling mifepristone, a popular abortion pill, in red states. California Gov. Gavin Newsom says his state will cut ties with the pharmacy giant after the move. Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images hide caption
A Walgreens pharmacy is pictured on Jan. 5 in New York City. Walgreens says it won't sell mifepristone in states where Republican attorneys general threatened legal action. Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images hide caption
Mifepristone was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 2000 to induce first-trimester abortions in combination with a second drug, misoprostol. Charlie Neibergall/AP hide caption
Democratic state attorneys general sue Biden administration over abortion pill rules
Misoprostol is currently approved by the FDA for use as an ulcer drug, not as a standalone abortion pill. Doctors already use it off-label for a variety of gynecological purposes beyond abortion, including for IUD insertion and for labor and delivery. Victor R. Caivano/AP hide caption
Why an ulcer drug could be the last option for many abortion patients
The Food and Drug Administration announced it has loosened some restrictions on the pill mifepristone, allowing it to be dispensed by more pharmacies and without an in-person exam. Charlie Neibergall/AP hide caption
Containers of mifepristone and misoprostol — medications used to end a pregnancy — sit on a table inside of a Planned Parenthood clinic in Fairview Heights, Ill. Jeff Roberson/AP hide caption
Activists participate in a candlelight vigil for abortion rights near the U.S. Supreme Court on Dec. 13. Alex Wong/Getty Images hide caption