The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a second variation, or an updated version, of the commonly used abortion pill mifepristone this past October, receiving much backlash from “pro-lifers,” those not in support of abortion rights, who see this as a “stain on the Trump presidency,” according to PBS.
Mifepristone is an oral drug prescribed to women under 70 days into their pregnancy who want an abortion, according to the Mayo Clinic. The drug was first approved in the 1980s in Europe and was later introduced in 2000 in the USA after being approved by the FDA. Mayo Clinic continued. 19 years later, pharmaceutical company GenBioPro manufactured the first generic version, and in October of 2025, the FDA approved the second generic edition (a lower-cost version of the drug), which was produced by Evita Solutions, according to PBS.
According to the Planned Parenthood website, patients cannot access Mifepristone in some places in the U.S. because of the FDA’s Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS) restrictions, which are “not supported by research and create medically unnecessary barriers for patients accessing both medication abortion and the best method of managing a miscarriage.”
Conservatives in the U.S., who participate in pro-lifer movements and believe that abortion constitutes as murder, have negatively responded to this approval, expressing their dislike for the FDA. Republican Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri wrote in a post that he had “lost confidence in the leadership at FDA,” with pro-life organization Students for Life Action agreeing, saying that “the deep state at the FDA must go,” according to Cardiology Advisor. Eliza Rorech ’26, Leader of Women’s Affinity at Poly, furthered this point, mentioning that “a lot of Republicans are having a moment of backlash and animosity towards Donald Trump because this was approved under his administration…they feel like this is a betrayal of these values that Trump has been preaching.”
The Trump administration has announced that they are open and considering restricting access to mifepristone in more states, despite attorneys from 19 states and New York Attorney General Letitia James having “vowed” to protect rights and use of mifepristone, according to Lawyers for Good Government.
While many pro-lifers believe that the FDA is to blame for the drug’s approval occurring amidst Trump’s strong abortion regulations, such as bans on abortion care, the FDA is actually obligated by federal law to approve any drug that already exists in the market, unless scientific evidence can prove that it is no longer safe or effective. According to Rorech, regardless of whether the Trump administration “has a political stance on [the drug],” this law means that “they actually need to approve it.”
However, mifepristone is easier to access since Evita Solutions developed it with the idea in mind that it would be a cheaper alternative to typical abortion options. This has allowed more people to access the abortion they need without having to worry about the affordability of the plan.
Abortions, while legal in the state of New York, have been banned in 12 out of the 50 states, with restrictions in many others. Planned Parenthood’s New York representative, Sojwal Senti, said in an email that despite illegalizations, Planned Parenthood “provides care to all who walk through our doors,” and that they “often see patients who have traveled from other states where abortion is banned.”
Still, Health Faculty Member Phoebe Aberlin has noted that the “limited access for women” to abortions really affects those who don’t have the financial means to travel out of state.” The debate over access to Mifepristone has become tangled with the FDA’s REMS program, which is currently reviewing the drug for errors to be able to revoke its approval. Pro-life groups have continued to criticize the FDA, leaving many to wonder what the future of women’s healthcare, specifically their access to mifepristone, a drug that has been used safely and effectively for 25 years in the U.S., will look like.
