A critical case that was launched by pro-life activists who are seeking to prohibit the abortion pill mifepristone will be heard by a federal appeals court in New Orleans on Wednesday.
The outcome of this case may significantly impact the ability of women in the United States to have abortions.
Danco Laboratories, the company that manufactures the drug and sells it under the brand name Mifeprex, will present its case in addition to the arguments that the Biden administration will make in support of the medicine’s approval by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Oral arguments are being heard right now in front of a panel of three judges by the United States Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit in the United States. The fact that most of this court’s judges were appointed to their seats by Republican presidents is notorious.
Attorneys working for the Justice Department under the leadership of President Joe Biden are attempting to combat the proliferation of abortion bans and restrictions passed by states that Republicans run. The proliferation was made possible because of a decision made by the Supreme Court a year ago that made it easier for states to implement stringent abortion restrictions.
Mifepristone, the pill component used to induce abortions, has been deemed dangerous by pro-life organizations and medical professionals. They contend that the FDA approval in 2000 was hastily granted, which is why the medicine was given the go-ahead so rapidly.
The administration is expected to argue that the plaintiffs do not have the legal right to sue in this case because the approval of mifepristone will not personally harm them. They plan to bring attention to the drug’s safety, supported by a significant body of evidence from prominent medical organizations.
The plaintiffs, who the Alliance Defending Freedom represented, were aware that by filing the action in Amarillo, Texas, it would be considered by Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk, a conservative who used to be a Christian activist, and that any appeals would be forwarded to the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals, which is also a conservative court. The plaintiffs also knew any requests would be submitted to the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals, which is also conservative.
The order due to be issued by Kacsmaryk, which would have threatened access to mifepristone across the country, was placed on hold by the Supreme Court at the end of the previous month.
