Trump FDA Requests Halt on Abortion Pill Litigation Amid Safety Review

The FDA, under the Trump administration, has asked a federal court to put a hold on the state of Louisiana’s legal challenge against the safety regulations for the abortion pill set to go into effect in 2023. The court case has been filed just days after former President Donald Trump and his Vice President J.D. Vance stated that they would not block access to the abortion pill, which has resulted in the deaths of over 7.5 million unborn babies in the past 25 years.

The FDA is seeking to halt the review of the lawsuit by Louisiana, claiming the state’s efforts to put a stop to the 2023 REMS safety protocols for the pill would interfere with the FDA’s systematic review and investigation into the safety risks of the drug.

Meanwhile, the lawsuit filed by the Alliance Defending Freedom on behalf of the state of Louisiana and a woman named Rosalie Markezich, argues that the 2023 REMS safety rules for the abortion pill are illegal and that the requirements for in-person dispensing of the pill should be reinstated.

The FDA disputes the standing of the plaintiffs to challenge the 2023 REMS on the grounds that they cannot trace the claims to the FDA. However, the plaintiffs have cited numerous instances of harm caused by the 2023 REMS, including increased Medicaid costs, coercion of women into taking the pill, and medical emergencies resulting from the drug.

The FDA has asked the court to delay judicial review until its own examination of the drug is completed.