Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the secretary for health and human services, has announced that the FDA will make a new review of the abortive pills used in two -thirds of abortions in the US, according to ABC News.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Photo: Profimedia
The Secretary for Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., said that FDA will make a new revision of the abortive pills, about which the supporters of abortion say they could lead to significant restrictions on the most common national abortion method.
Kennedy and FDA Commissioner Marty Makary sent in a letter to the 22 Republican general prosecutors, who had applied for a re-evaluation of the Mifepriston’s safety, that FDA would perform “Own Review Review, including results from real use and safety and efficacy datai. ”
“The concerns you have raised in your letter deserves a careful examination. This administration will ensure that women’s health is properly protected by a detailed investigation of circumstances in which Mifepriston can be safely distributed,” Makary and Kennedy wrote.
The abortive pill (Mifepriston + Misoprostol) is used in almost two thirds of the US abortions.
Supporters of abortion rights warn that this review could lead to significant restrictions on access to this abortion method. Planned ParentHood reaffirms that Mifepriston has been safely used for 25 years and warns that restrictions could affect access to reproductive health services.
On the other hand, between 2000 and December 2024, the FDA recorded 36 deaths associated with the use of the pill (according to the reports).
According to a letter sent by Kennedy and FDA Commissioner, Marty Makary, the agency will analyze “real records” related to the safety and effectiveness of the drug.
Critics and other information
In May 2025, Kennedy ordered the FDA to review the regulations on Mifepriston, invoking “new data”.
Scientific critics say that one of the sources quoted as a reason for this review is an unprofitable study, from a conservative think tank (Ethics & Public Policy Center), which presented a relatively high rate of adverse events-study by some experts as “Junk Science” (poor quality science).
Democratic states (eg California, New York, Massachusetts, New Jersey) have submitted petitions to eliminate restrictions on mifepriston, claiming that current regulations (under the REMS – Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy program) are excessive and prevents access to care and patients.
The revision appears in a polarized political context, in which the pro-life (anti-abortion) groups exert pressure to restrict access to drug abortion, and the democratic states risk losses of reproductive health services.
