US Supreme Court preserves access to abortion pill mifepristone

The decision, which came two years after the court rescinded the nationwide guarantee to an abortion, was welcomed by pro-choice activists, reported BBC.

Mifepristone is one of two drugs used in America at present for medical abortion. It is one of the most common methods of terminating pregnancies in the country now.

The plaintiffs, known as the Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine, had argued that approval for the drug from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) should be withdrawn, reported BBC.

US President Joe Biden reacted to the development and said the decision does not change the fact that the fight for reproductive freedom continues.  "The stakes could not be higher for women across America," he said.

"It does mean that mifepristone, or medication abortion, remains available and approved. Women can continue to access this medication – approved by the FDA as safe and effective more than 20 years ago," Biden said.

Reacting to the Supreme Court's development, Attorney General Merrick B. Garland said in a statement: "The Justice Department is gratified that today’s unanimous decision in FDA v. Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine ensures that mifepristone remains available for women across the country on the terms approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)."

"I am proud of the work of lawyers at the Justice Department for vigorously defending the FDA’s expert judgment about the safety and efficacy of a medication that women have relied upon for more than twenty years. But our work does not end today. The Department will continue to work tirelessly to protect and advance reproductive freedoms under federal law," the statement said.

Garland said the Department of Justice is committed to protecting reproductive freedom.