On Wednesday, the fifth circuit court of appeals will consider the future of mifepristone, a crucial drug used in over half of US abortions, after a district court judge ruled the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) was wrong to approve it more than two decades ago. Access to the drug remains unchanged in states where abortion is still legal while the case proceeds.
The hearings follow a lengthy succession of court judgments. In late April, the supreme court blocked court-ordered restrictions on mifepristone while a lawsuit brought by anti-abortion groups targeting the pill continues.
