The Food and Drug Administration is leaving the door open to reimposing restrictions on access to the abortion pill mifepristone, following calls from anti-abortion advocates and conservative leaders for the agency to reconsider its decades-old approval of the medication.
Sen. Josh Hawley, a staunch anti-abortion ally, wrote Monday to the FDA’s commissioner, Marty Makary, demanding that the agency “take all appropriate action to restore critical safeguards on the use of mifepristone” following the release of a study on the drug from the conservative Ethics and Public Policy Center.
Asked if the FDA would consider Hawley’s request, an agency spokesperson said: “The FDA is committed to safeguarding public health by ensuring the safety, efficacy, and quality of the products it regulates. The agency rigorously evaluates the latest scientific data, leveraging gold standard science to make informed decisions.”