WASHINGTON (bdexpress) \u2014 Federal officials have approved another generic version of the abortion pill mifepristone, a regulatory formality that quickly triggered pushback from anti-abortion groups and politicians aligned with the Trump administration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Drugmaker Evita Solutions<\/strong> announced on its website that the Food and Drug Administration<\/a> signed off on its low-cost form of the pill, which is approved to end pregnancies through 10 weeks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Students for Life Action, which opposes abortion, in a statement Thursday called the approval \u201ca stain on the Trump presidency and another sign that the deep state at the FDA must go.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Republican Sen. Josh Hawley<\/strong> of Missouri also criticized the move in a post on X<\/a>, stating: \u201cI have lost confidence in the leadership at FDA.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n The criticism comes as Republican President Donald Trump\u2019s top health officials, including Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., face growing pressure from abortion opponents to reevaluate mifepristone, which was approved 25 years ago and has repeatedly been deemed safe and effective by FDA scientists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In a letter to Republican attorneys general last month, Kennedy and FDA Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary pledged to conduct a full review of the drug\u2019s safety.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The FDA approved the original version of mifepristone in 2000 and gradually eased access over time. That included approving the first generic pill, from drugmaker GenBioPro, in 2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In 2021, the FDA under Democratic President Joe Biden permitted online prescribing and mail-order delivery of the drug, greatly expanding access. Abortion opponents have been fighting the change ever since.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Approval of generic drugs is typically a rote process at the FDA, with multiple copycat versions usually approved after the patent on the original drug expires. In most cases, generic drugmakers only need to show that they\u2019re drug matches the ingredients and formula developed by the original drugmaker.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The FDA typically approves such applications within 10 months. But filing documents posted to the FDA\u2019s website show that Evita Solutions filed its application to market mifepristone four years ago.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The company did not immediately respond to requests for comment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n On its website, Evita states that it \u201cbelieves that all people should have access to safe, affordable, high-quality, effective, and compassionate abortion care.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Approval of a second generic is unlikely to affect access to the pill, which is typically taken with another drug, misoprostol. The combination accounts for roughly two-thirds of all U.S. abortions. Mifepristone dilates the cervix and blocks the hormone progesterone, while misoprostol causes the uterus to cramp and contract.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Access to mifepristone is restricted across large sections of the country because of state laws that ban abortion \u2014 including medication abortion \u2014 or impose separate restrictions on the drug\u2019s use. Those laws are subject to a number of ongoing lawsuits that are winding their way through the legal system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Restrictions on the pill are not supported by most major medical societies, including the American Medical Association.<\/p>\n\n\n\nThe federal shutdown will cut off vital economic data, Even Friday\u2019s jobs report!<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n