Statement is attributable to:
Jack Resneck Jr., M.D.
Immediate Past President, American Medical Association
“Today’s decision by the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals continues to signal a move in the wrong direction on access to mifepristone, potentially eliminating the ability to prescribe and dispense mifepristone via telemedicine and reinstating barriers to access that lack scientific evidence. While this decision preserves the original approval of Mifeprex and generic mifepristone, this action will undoubtedly negatively impact patients across the country if left in place.
“Research shows an association between restricted access to safe and legal abortion and higher rates of maternal morbidity and mortality, with already vulnerable populations experiencing the greatest burden. Reduced access to mifepristone will almost certainly exacerbate the maternal mortality crisis in places that do not have access to this medication. It may also threaten access to mifepristone for use in medical management of miscarriage in states seeking to broadly ban its use.
“Mifepristone gained approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2000 and has been proven to be unquestionably safe and effective for both termination of pregnancy and for medical management of miscarriage for over two decades. The FDA approval process is one that is based on extensive, evidence-based, scientific review of efficacy and safety. Continued efforts to insert the ideology of judges and courts to question sound regulatory science and evidence-based review of therapeutics poses a significant risk to our drug approval process and may ultimately serve to stifle innovation in the pharmaceutical space.
“Disinformation campaigns and anti-science aggression regarding medicine pose a great threat to public health. The AMA will continue to fight for access to evidence-based medicine and for the health of patients.”
Editor’s Note: For additional information, please see the AMA Viewpoint and op-ed in the New York Times on what is at stake in this court decision.
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