FDA Approves A New Generic Version Of The Abortion Pill

The Food and Drug Administration has approved a new generic version of the abortion pill mifepristone, prompting an outcry from conservatives who’ve been eager to restrict access to the medication.

The generic pill was approved in September, according to Evita Solutions, its manufacturer. It joins another generic pill that’s already on the market from GenBioPro, which was approved in 2019.

Andrew Dixon, a spokesperson for the Health and Human Services Department, noted that the FDA “has very limited discretion in deciding whether to approve a generic drug. By law, the Secretary of Health and Human Services must approve an application if it demonstrates that the generic drug is identical to the brand-name drug.”

Dixon added that the FDA “does not endorse any drug product and directs prescribers to follow all labelling.”

The FDA’s approval of the medication greenlights another low-cost way to obtain the abortion pill, which has seen a major uptick in usage since the fall of Roe v. Wade, a decision that paved the way for numerous states to impose severe restrictions on reproductive rights.

“Over two decades of research and evidence shows mifepristone is extremely safe and effective,” a Planned Parenthood spokesperson said in a statement. “This newly approved generic mifepristone will provide another option for people in a time when access is being restricted for political reasons.”

Despite research showing that it’s safe, the abortion pill has been a frequent target of conservative groups, who are furious over the FDA’s recent action.

“This reckless decision by the FDA to expand the availability of abortion drugs is unconscionable,” Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America President Marjorie Dannenfelser said in a statement.

“I have lost confidence in the leadership at FDA,” Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) added in a post on X.

The outcry follows conservatives lauding HHS’s prior decision to conduct a review of mifepristone’s safety in a move that could lead to aggressive new restrictions on the use of the abortion pill.

It also marks one of the rare instances in which conservatives have turned on policy decisions made by the Trump administration.

“All conclude that the pills are a safe method for terminating a pregnancy,” the Times said.