Supreme Court to hear case on potential nationwide restrictions on abortion drug

The Supreme Court on Wednesday said it will hear a case on whether to restrict access to the common abortion drug mifepristone, even in states where abortion is still legal, in the first major abortion cases since the justices overturned the right to abortion more than a year ago.

Mifepristone, when used in conjunction with another drug, is one of the most common abortion methods in the U.S., and it is still available without restrictions. The drug has been subject to an ongoing legal battle involving its original approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2000.

The justices discussed the case at their Friday conference, The New York Times reported. 

The Biden administration then asked the Supreme Court to hear the case after a circuit appeals court issued a ruling curbing the abortifacient's availability. 

The Supreme Court had previously said it would leave abortion access to the states, but the Justice Department wrote in an appeal to the high court that the lower court made an unprecedented decision in questioning the FDA's approval.

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