The United States Supreme Court has blocked new restrictions set by lower courts on a widely used abortion pill, a decision welcomed by President Joe Biden as his administration defends broad access to the drug in a fierce legal battle over reproductive rights.
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The justices, in a brief order, granted emergency requests by the Justice Department and the pill's manufacturer Danco Laboratories to put on hold an April 7 preliminary injunction issued by US District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk in Texas.
The judge's order would greatly limit the availability of mifepristone while litigation proceeds in a challenge by anti-abortion groups to its federal regulatory approval.
"As a result of the Supreme Court's stay, mifepristone remains available and approved for safe and effective use while we continue this fight in the courts," Biden said in a statement issued by the White House.
"The stakes could not be higher for women across America.
"I will continue to fight politically driven attacks on women's health."
Conservative Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito publicly dissented from the decision.
Alito, in a brief opinion, wrote that the administration and Danco did not show they were likely to suffer "irreparable harm".
Biden's administration is seeking to defend mifepristone in the face of mounting abortion bans and restrictions enacted by Republican-led states since the Supreme Court in June 2022 overturned the landmark 1973 Roe v Wade decision that had legalised the procedure nationwide.
Alito authored that ruling.
The current case now returns to the New Orleans-based 5th US Circuit Court of Appeals, which is set to hear arguments on May 17.
The losing side after the 5th Circuit rules could appeal the case back to the Supreme Court.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the US agency that signs off on the safety of food products, drugs and medical devices, approved mifepristone in 2000.
The challengers contend the FDA illegally approved mifepristone and removed critical safeguards on what they call a dangerous drug.
Mifepristone is taken with another drug called misoprostol to perform medication abortion, which accounts for more than half of all US abortions.
The drug has other uses including management of miscarriages.
Erik Baptist, a lawyer for the conservative religious rights group Alliance Defending Freedom representing the pill's challengers, said "our case seeking to put women's health above politics continues on an expedited basis in the lower courts".
The case could undercut federal regulatory authority over drug safety.
"I continue to stand by FDA's evidence-based approval of mifepristone, and my administration will continue to defend FDA's independent, expert authority to review, approve and regulate a wide range of prescription drugs," Biden said.
Danco lawyer Jessica Ellsworth said the Supreme Court's decision "preserves crucial access to a drug relied on by millions of patients" after lower courts caused "widespread chaos".
The 5th Circuit on April 12 declined to block the curbs ordered by Kacsmaryk but did halt part of the judge's order that would have suspended FDA approval of mifepristone and effectively pulled it off the market.
The Supreme Court acted just hours ahead of its self-imposed deadline of 11.59pm EDT on Friday (0359 GMT on Saturday) before Kacsmaryk's mifepristone restrictions would have taken effect.
The FDA has called mifepristone safe and effective as demonstrated across decades of use by millions of Americans, with adverse effects exceedingly rare.
Abortion rights groups praised the Supreme Court's decision on Friday but noted the case was ongoing.
"We're not out of the woods yet," Center for Reproductive Rights president Nancy Northup said.
Australian Associated Press
