Appeals court upholds restrictions on mifepristone, but access to abortion pill still available

A federal appeals court on Wednesday upheld parts of a decision limiting access to the abortion drug mifepristone.

The ruling by the three-judge panel on the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals is considered a win for anti-abortion activists.

But the ruling will have no immediate or practical impact on the availability of the drug because the Justice Department is expected to appeal the ruling, and the Supreme Court earlier this year issued a stay while the case goes through the appeals process, according to NBC News.

The ruling by the conservative-leaning panel held the Food and Drug Administration failed to take into account safety concerns when they loosened access to widely used mifepristone in 2016. 

The high court's stay, or temporary pause, has allowed the drug to remain widely available.