Delhi, April 8: A federal judge in Texas on Friday ordered a hold on the US approval of mifepristone, a drug approved by the US Food and Drug Administration that has been shown to be safe and effective for more than two decades, although he is pausing his ruling for seven days so the federal government can appeal.

US District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk, a Trump appointee in Texas, ordered a hold on federal approval of mifepristone. Whereas, US District Judge Thomas O' Rice, an Obama appointee, directed authorities not to make any changes that would restrict access to the drug in at least 17 states where Democrats sued to protect its availability. US Abortion Pill Ruling: Texas Judge Suspends FDA’s Two-Decade-Old Approval.

The lawsuit from anti-abortion advocates claims that the drug is not safe and that the FDA didn’t study it enough to approve it. US Study Says Restricted Access to ‘Abortion’ Linked With Higher Suicide Rates.

What is Mifepristone?

Mifepristone is one of the drugs used for an abortion via medication, as opposed to surgery along with Misoprostol. Mifepristone is a pill approved for abortion in the US. It works by blocking progesterone, a hormone that’s necessary for a pregnancy to continue. Doctors generally prescribe it with misoprostol, a drug used to treat stomach ulcers, that can also induce contractions. When taken together, the two pills have an over 95% efficacy rate in safely ending pregnancies with no further intervention.

Why Mifepristone Has Been Banned by Texas Judge?

Anti-abortion advocates claim that the drug is not safe and that the FDA didn’t study it enough to approve it. They argue that it poses health risks to individuals who take it. About 1 in 100 people who take the drug experience heavy bleeding that requires surgical intervention, according to the FDA. They say that it should only be administered by a licensed healthcare provider.

Even if mifepristone is banned, misoprostol would still be available and could be used for a medication abortion on its own. The single-drug approach has a slightly lower rate of effectiveness in ending pregnancies, but it is widely used in countries where mifepristone is illegal or unavailable.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 08, 2023 04:12 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).