Planned Parenthood of Michigan on Fifth Circuit Mifepristone Case Decision

LANSING, MICH. — Late Wednesday night, two Trump-nominated judges of a Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals panel largely denied the Biden administration’s request to issue a stay of the district court ruling in Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine et al v. U.S. Food and Drug Administration et al, meaning that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) approval of mifepristone is still in grave jeopardy. However, the courts’ orders have not yet taken effect, leaving abortion access intact for now.

Planned Parenthood of Michigan continues to monitor the legal landscape and is preparing to shift medication abortion protocols if necessary. Medication abortion will remain legal in Michigan, but providers may be forced to comply with medically-unnecessary restrictions. This will create additional – and sometimes insurmountable – barriers for patients trying to access care. 

Statement from Paula Thornton Greear, President and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Michigan: 

“Mifepristone is safe and effective, and has been used by more than five million people since the FDA approved it more than 20 years ago. There is no medical or scientific debate about its safety. This is a baseless case brought by anti-abortion activists who seek to restrict or eliminate access to abortion by any means possible. 

It is unacceptable that yet another court has chosen to endanger the health and futures of millions of patients who depend on mifepristone for abortion care. Twice this week, the federal judiciary has ignored both science and the law. In this instance, the court went so far as to take it upon themselves to rewrite the label for mifepristone. If this decision is allowed to stand, the consequences will be severe, not only for those seeking medication abortion but for the future of the entire drug approval system. We must not tolerate this judicial overreach. 

Despite yet another outrageous attack, Planned Parenthood of Michigan is here, our doors are open, we will continue providing medication abortion, and we won’t stop fighting until everyone is able to access the highest-quality care available when and where they need it.” 

###

Planned Parenthood offers affordable reproductive health care for all people through medical services, education and advocacy and is the nation’s leading sexual and reproductive health care advocate and provider. Planned Parenthood of Michigan operates health centers across the state, providing medical services and sexuality education for nearly 60,000 Michiganders each year.