Supreme Court Blocks 5th Circuit Order Restricting Mifepristone Access for Now
The Supreme Court temporarily restored broad access to the abortion pill mifepristone on Monday, blocking a 5th Circuit order that would have restricted access through mail and telehealth.
Justice Samuel Alito issued an administrative stay that keeps the lower court order on hold until 5 p.m. EDT on May 11 while the justices consider emergency applications from Danco Laboratories and GenBioPro, the drugmakers involved in the case. Responses are due Thursday.
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The order does not decide whether the 5th Circuit was right. It preserves the current rules for now, allowing mifepristone to remain available through telehealth, mail delivery, and certified pharmacies.
The case is another major abortion-access fight after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022. In 2024, the Court unanimously rejected a separate challenge to mifepristone access on standing grounds, but this new case keeps the dispute over FDA authority and abortion-pill access alive.
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