Days after FDA Commissioner Marty Makary announced plans to review the safety of the abortion pill mifepristone, attorneys general from four pro-abortion states have filed a petition urging the agency to ease restrictions on the drug.
The petition, backed by Massachusetts, California, New Jersey, and New York, does not necessarily seek to eliminate the Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS) requirements for mifepristone. Instead, it aims to compel the FDA to formally assess the extensive safety data supporting the medication, which has been available in the U.S. for 25 years.
According to The New York Times, the petition also seeks to counter a controversial report from the conservative Ethics and Public Policy Center (EPPC), an anti-abortion think tank. The EPPC’s report, which questions mifepristone’s safety, has gained attention among anti-abortion advocates despite lacking peer-reviewed validation. Notably, the report relies on undisclosed insurance claims data, raising concerns about its credibility.
The pushback from these states highlights the ongoing political and legal battle over reproductive rights as the FDA re-evaluates mifepristone’s regulations.
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