A United States appeals court has issued a temporary order stopping the delivery of mifepristone by mail, a medication widely used in abortion care across the country.
The ruling was handed down on Friday by a three-judge panel of the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in a case filed by the state of Louisiana against the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The decision requires women seeking the drug to obtain it physically from certified health clinics, effectively banning its distribution through mail services and pharmacies.
Mifepristone, approved by the FDA in 2000, is commonly used alongside misoprostol to terminate pregnancies of up to 70 days. It is also prescribed in the management of early miscarriages and has become the most frequently used method for abortion in the United States.
Danco Laboratories, one of the two companies authorised to distribute the medication, has requested a one-week pause on the court’s order to allow time to approach the US Supreme Court with an emergency appeal. The company described the ruling as “unprecedented” and warned it could lead to widespread disruption for both patients and pharmacies.
The appeals court’s decision overturns an earlier ruling that had allowed continued mail distribution of the drug while the FDA reviewed its regulations.
Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill welcomed the ruling, describing it as a major win for anti-abortion advocates. She criticised federal policies on abortion pills and claimed the decision would put an end to what she described as unlawful distribution practices.
However, reproductive rights advocates strongly condemned the judgment. Nancy Northup, President and CEO of the Center for Reproductive Rights, argued that the move is aimed at limiting access rather than addressing safety concerns. Similarly, Julia Kaye of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) said the decision would make it significantly harder for patients to access a medication that has been safely used for more than two decades.
Supporters of stricter regulation have pointed to a controversial study questioning the drug’s safety, though critics note that the research was not peer-reviewed and was not published in a recognised scientific journal.
The legal battle comes amid a broader national divide over abortion rights. Since the US Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June 2022, more than 20 states have introduced bans or heavy restrictions on abortion.
Despite these developments, opinion polls indicate that a majority of Americans continue to support access to safe and legal abortion services.
In 2024, the US Supreme Court had dismissed an earlier attempt to restrict access to mifepristone, ruling that the groups challenging the drug did not have the legal standing to bring the case.
US Appeals Court Temporarily Halts Mail Delivery of Abortion Pill
