After reversing Roe v. Wade in 2022, the Supreme Court is now taking up a new case that will decide if and how patients can access mifepristone, the commonly used abortion pill. They are set to hear the case in March 2024.

Mifepristone, when used in combination with misoprostol for medication abortion, is the most widely used form of abortion, accounting for 53% of all abortions performed in the U.S. Mifepristone is also a critical drug used in miscarriage management and other reproductive health needs. The medication first received FDA approval all the way back in September 2000 for medical termination of pregnancy. It has since been proven safe and effective–in fact, mifepristone is safer than Tylenol!

In April 2023, in the worst federal abortion ruling since Roe was overturned, Trump appointee Matthew Kacsmaryk, District Court Judge for the Northern District of Texas, revoked the FDA’s 23 year approval of mifepristone for the entire nation. The case has since been appealed all the way up to the Supreme Court.

Now, the upcoming Supreme Court case will be the first time the conservative-majority Court will rule on abortion since it overturned Roe. It could not only radically change access to abortion care nationwide, but it could also drastically impact the FDA’s regulatory authority.

If the Supreme Court overturns the FDA’s approval, it would impact patients across the country regardless of whether abortion remains legal in their state.