A Texas lawsuit could force a popular abortion pill off the market

This week, a Texas judge appointed by former President Donald Trump heard oral arguments in a case that could make it difficult for women to terminate their pregnancies. 

According to NPR, on Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk listened to hours-long arguments after Alliance Defending Freedom, a Christian legal advocacy group, filed a motion to seek a preliminary injunction that would either remove a popular abortion pill from the market or restrict its availability to the public. 

This injunction comes after the conservative group filed a suit against the Food and Drug Administration, alleging the federal agency did not have the authority to approve the use of two abortion pills: mifepristone and misoprostol.

The Alliance Defending Freedom, along with other abortion opponents, participated in the Mississippi case that eventually led to Roe v. Wade being overturned, no longer guaranteeing a federal right to an abortion. 

What is mifepristone?

The FDA approved mifepristone in 2000, which is taken with another drug called misoprostol to terminate a pregnancy up to 10 weeks.

According to the FDA, a patient looking to end a pregnancy would first take mifepristone orally. The pill would then dilate the cervix and stop the hormone progesterone from sustaining a pregnancy. 

After 24-48 hours of ingesting mifepristone, the patient would place misoprostol in an area in the body that is most fitting for the patient. The pill would then dissolve on its own and would work to continue the process of terminating the pregnancy.

Since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, there has been an uptick in prescribing the drug to patients around the country, the Associated Press reported.

If Judge Kacsmaryk rules to prohibit the future use of mifepristone, then doctors and clinics will only prescribe misoprostol, which is less effective in terminating pregnancies. 

What are the…