Tag Archives: Abortion drugs

FDA backs expanded use of medical abortion pill

Food and Drug Administration Building

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday agreed to allow more access to Danco Laboratories’ abortion pill Mifeprex, likely making it easier and cheaper for women to have an abortion by medication.

The FDA increased authorized use of the pill to 70 days of gestation from the current 49 days, cut the recommended dose of the drug and reduced the number of required visits to a doctor.

The changes are expected to allow greater access to medication abortions, particularly in Texas, North Dakota and Ohio, which have laws that require providers to prescribe the drug according to a more restrictive FDA label in place since 2000.

On Wednesday, the agency updated the Mifepfrex requirements to bring them in line with the most up-to-date scientific studies, which have shown that a third of the dose works as well.

“The FDA label has finally caught up to the evidence based practice in the United States,” said Vicki Saporta, president and chief executive of the National Abortion Federation, an organization of abortion providers. “It has the potential of opening medical abortion care in more rural areas because it does not have to be given by a surgical abortion provider,” she added.

The FDA decision comes amid a heated 2016 presidential race.

Earlier this month, the Supreme Court took up a major abortion case which represents a test for a strategic shift that abortion opponents have taken in recent years: to apply restrictive regulations to abortion doctors and facilities rather than try to ban the procedure outright.

Mifeprex was approved in 2000 to terminate early pregnancy when given in combination with misoprostol, an anti-inflammatory drug that was originally approved to prevent gastric ulcers.

Under the new prescription information on the label, patients will take one 200 mg tablet of Mifeprex on day one instead of three 200 mg tablets. They will take 800 mcg of misoprostol 24-48 hours after taking Mifeprex. Previously they took 400 mcg on day three.

Under the old label, patients were asked to return to their doctor 14 days after taking Mifeprex for an examination. The new label requires that they return between seven and 14 days for an “assessment.”

As far back as 2001, an estimated 83 percent of U.S. providers were no longer using the old FDA-approved regimen, according to the Guttmacher Institute, which backs abortion rights but whose research is used by both sides of the debate.

(Reporting by Toni Clarke, Jilian Mincer and Jon Herskovitz; Editing by Alistair Bell)

Sixteen States Back Christian Universities in Appeal Against ACA

Three Christian Universities found themselves with unexpected supporters for their appeal to the Supreme Court over the contraception mandates in the Affordable Care Act (ACA):  16 state governments.  Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, and West Virginia announced their support for the school’s appeal.

Houston Baptist University (HBU), East Texas Baptist University (ETBU) and Westminster Theological Seminary have appealed to the Supreme Court over a lower court’s ruling they expand the contraception options in their health insurance plans.  The schools currently offer 10 different forms of contraception, but do not want to carry four forms of contraception that fall into the category of abortifacient drugs, or drugs that cause an abortion.

The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, who is defending the school’s rights, says the support of 16 states through friend-of-the-court briefs is a major bonus to the school’s case.

“This strong show of support for HBU and ETBU (and Westminster Theological Seminary) demonstrates just how important it is that the Supreme Court address the impact of the HHS mandate, particularly on religious groups,” said Diana Verm, Legal Counsel at the Becket Fund, in a statement. “It is especially significant that the 16 state governments are supporting HBU and ETBU at the Supreme Court.

The 16 states claim in their briefs that the schools maintain “a sincere religious conviction that complying with the disputed mandate is forbidden.”  The Attorneys General for the states also endorsed providing the schools with the same exemptions that are given to churches.

A federal appeals court ruled against the Little Sisters of the Poor in a similar case last month.  If the exemptions are not given to the schools and organizations challenging the mandate, they could face millions of dollars in IRS fines for not making the abortifacient drugs available as part of their health care plans.

North Dakota Court Upholds Abortion Drugs Ban

The North Dakota Supreme Court upheld a state law that limits abortion drugs.

The court reversed the ruling of a lower court judge last year that said the law violated the state constitution.

“Beginning tomorrow morning, there will not be any medication abortions in North Dakota,” said David Brown, an attorney for the Center for Reproductive Rights.

The North Dakota law says that no drugs can be used to induce abortions that are not approved for that use by the FDA.  The North Dakota clinic involved in the lawsuit uses misoprostol as part of their process, which is not approved by the FDA for abortions.  The drug is a treatment for stomach ulcers.

A spokeswoman for the Fargo abortionists say about 20 percent of their abortions each year are done with drugs.

North Dakota Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem praised the court’s decision and said the state will wait to see what the abortionists do before deciding how to proceed with the case

Conestoga Wood Gets Permanent Injunction Against Abortion Pill Mandate

One of the companies involved in the Supreme Court case striking down parts of the Affordable Care Act has finally received a permanent injunction against the law.

Conestoga Wood Specialties Corporation, which has over 950 employees, said the law violated the Mennonite beliefs of their owners.  The owners said abortion is “an intrinsic evil and a sin against God” and they should not be forced to pay for abortions via drug in the law.

U.S. District Judge Mitchell Goldberg had ruled against the Hahn Family who owns the company in 2012, which sparked the case heading to the Supreme Court.  Now, the same judge has issued a permanent injunction.

“[I]t is hereby ordered that Defendants are permanently enjoined from enforcing against Plaintiffs, their group health plan, and the group health insurance coverage provided in connection with that plan, the statute and regulations that require Plaintiffs to provide their employees coverage for ‘[a]ll Food and Drug Administration approved contraceptive methods, sterilization procedures, and patient education and counseling for all women with reproductive capacity,’” the judge wrote in his order.

The Alliance Defending Freedom praised the injunction, saying that they hope other judges will not infringe on the religious freedom of Americans.

Woman Sentenced For Sneaking Daughter Abortion Pills

A Pennsylvania woman will spend the next 18 months behind bars after being convicted of illegally giving her daughter abortion pills.

Jennifer Whalen of Washingtonville, 39, pleaded guilty last month to purchasing the drugs from an online site based in Europe.  The woman’s 16-year-old daughter became pregnant in 2012 and didn’t want to keep the baby so the two found the drugs online.

The plot was exposed after the daughter experienced abdominal cramping and bleeding.  She was rushed to Geisinger Medical Center where the doctors found an “incomplete abortion and urinary tract infaction.”

The case took over a year to bring charges because of the unique situation.  Whalen was initially charged with unlawfully dispensing medicine, endangering the welfare of a child, simple assault and medical consultation.  She had been free on bond prior to sentencing but will serve the prison term and community service upon release.

Diane Gramley of the American Family Association noted that Pennsylvania has a “safe haven” law where they could have left the baby at the hospital without any reprisal from the state.

“This baby did not have to die,” Gramley said.