The ruling by a three-judge panel of the New Orleans-based 5th Circuit Court of Appeals would limit use of mifepristone to the first seven weeks of pregnancy, instead of 10, and block it from being distributed by mail.
Anti-abortion groups are seeking to have mifepristone banned, claiming despite its long track record that it is unsafe. The case is the latest skirmish in the battle over reproductive rights in the United States. The case stems from an earlier ruling by a conservative US District Court judge in Texas that would have banned mifepristone.
It would be the most significant abortion case to reach the nine-member Supreme Court since it overturned the constitutional right to the procedure in June of last year. The Center for Reproductive Rights, a legal advocacy organization, said on X, formerly known as Twitter, there is"scientific CONSENSUS on the exemplary safety and efficacy of mifepristone.