US Supreme Court to Review Case Involving Abortion Pill

The US Supreme Court has announced its intention to review a case that could potentially limit access to an important abortion drug. This case is seen as the most significant reproductive rights case in the country since the Supreme Court overturned the Roe v Wade ruling. The Biden administration has urged the court to overturn a lower court's decision that restricted access to the drug. The drug in question, mifepristone, has faced scrutiny from a conservative legal group, which has targeted it following easier access granted by the Food and Drug Administration. Due to the current conservative majority of 6-3 in the Supreme Court, which has shown previous hostility towards abortion rights, the case will be heard early next year. This battle over mifepristone represents the latest front in the ongoing abortion debate, ignited by the Supreme Court's overturning of Roe v Wade in June 2022. The landmark 1973 ruling ensured the right to an abortion for women nationwide until the point of fetal viability (around 24 weeks). Since the overturning of Roe v Wade, a dozen states have enacted bans or severe restrictions on abortion, turning abortion pills, which can be obtained through mail and taken at home, into a focal point for both abortion advocates and opponents. Mifepristone is a crucial component of a two-pill regimen commonly used to terminate pregnancies in the early stages.