U.S. District Judge Matthew J. Kacsmaryk issued a rule to invalidate the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) approval of the abortion pill Mifepristone.
As a result, Mifepristone, which is the equivalent of the Health Canada-approved Mifegymiso, could be taken off shelves in all U.S. states if the ruling is upheld in court, as reported by The New York Times.
In Canada, a pro-life group is applauding Kacsmaryk’s decision and believes it’s a step in the right direction to protect the lives of unborn children.
“We are very excited by the US ruling,” said Josie Luetke, Director of Education and Advocacy at Campaign Life Coalition in an interview with True North. “Even if the drug isn’t removed from shelves, this decision and resulting media coverage are opening up the conversation about the harms of chemical abortion.”
“This drug has killed dozens of women—a 19-year-old Canadian last year, a 23-year-old Argentine abortion activist in 2021, at least 28 women in the United States since 2000, and many more mothers worldwide.”
The FDA approved chemical abortion in 2000 and is now up for judicial review despite petitions from plaintiffs requesting them since 2002.
“The law requires an agency response within 180 days of receipt of the petition,” writes Judge Kacsmaryk in his ruling. “FDA waited 4,971 days to adjudicate Plaintiffs’ first petition.”
“Simply put, FDA stonewalled judicial review — until now.”
Kacsmaryk states that his decision to reject the FDA’s approval of the drug is due to a lack of review of the psychological consequences of the drug on the user.
“FDA ‘entirely failed to consider an important aspect of the problem’ by omitting any evaluation of the psychological effects of the drug or an evaluation of the long-term medical consequences of the drug,” writes Kacsmaryk.
“Considering the intense psychological trauma and post-traumatic stress women often experience from chemical abortion, this failure should not be overlooked or understated.”
When asked how the U.S. ruling could affect Canadians, Luetke argues that Canada is “moving in the opposite direction” of the US when it comes to pro-life policies but she remains hopeful.
“Nevertheless, we are hopeful that these developments south of the border may improve awareness and spur greater grassroots resistance to this human poison,” said Luetke.
The plaintiffs in the case are made up of doctors and national medical association representatives that provide healthcare for women who are pregnant or recovering from abortion. The group argues that the FDA did not follow regular protocols when approving the abortion pill.
