Under Attack: 25 Things About Mifepristone on the 25th Anniversary of its FDA Approval - Reproductive Freedom for All

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Under Attack: 25 Things About Mifepristone on the 25th Anniversary of its FDA Approval

For Immediate Release: Sunday, September 28, 2025
Contact: [email protected]

Under Attack: 25 Things About Mifepristone on the 25th Anniversary of its FDA Approval

Washington, DC — Today marks the 25th anniversary of the FDA approval of abortion medication mifepristone.

Mifepristone has a 25-year track record of safety and efficacy—and over 200 scientific studies to back it up—yet anti-abortion extremists have launched a relentless barrage of attacks against the pill to reach their ultimate goal of banning all abortion care nationwide.

Reproductive Freedom for All President and CEO Mini Timmaraju released the following statement:

“Despite its 25-year track record of safety, mifepristone is still under attack by the Trump Administration. Republicans are choosing to ignore more than two decades of science and evidence that show mifepristone is safe and effective — all in their crusade to create a backdoor abortion ban nationwide. Banning medication abortion is deeply unpopular and would eliminate abortion care for 64.5 million people.”

Here are 25 things to know about mifepristone on the 25th anniversary of its FDA approval: 

Mifepristone’s Safety, Efficacy, and Widespread Use

  • Mifepristone is one of two pills typically used for medication abortion care.
  • Mifepristone is safe, effective, and has been used by over 7.5 million people for decades. Attacks on mifepristone are not based in science — they’re simply part of the MAGA agenda to ban abortion nationwide.
  • In addition to abortion care, mifepristone is also used for miscarriage treatment and can be life-saving medication.
  • Poll after poll demonstrates that Americans want medication abortion with mifepristone to be legal and accessible. Two-thirds support abortion pills remaining accessible—including 51% of Republicans.
  • 8 in 10 Americans believe that the decision about whether to have an abortion should be left to a patient and their doctor, including 58% of Republicans.

Federal Attacks on Mifepristone

  • Earlier this year, a Project 2025 sponsor organization published a junk science “study” filled with anti-abortion lies about mifepristone ahead of a DOJ filing in Missouri v. FDA, a case seeking to limit access to medication abortion nationwide. That DOJ filing left the door open for further attacks on mifepristone.
  • In May, Republican Senator Josh Hawley introduced a bill in Congress to ban the mailing of mifepristone and mounted a public campaign pressuring FDA Commissioner Martin Makary to launch a full review of the medication based on the unfounded junk science study.
  • HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. also asked Makary to consider new, nationwide restrictions on mifepristone. RFK Jr. said decisions about mifepristone will ultimately go “through Trump” — an outrageous statement from an agency that’s supposed to base its decisions in science, not the whims of politicians.
  • In response to Hawley and RFK Jr.’s pressure campaign, Makary announced in June that the FDA is officially initiating a politically motivated review of mifepristone. Makary previously tried to hide his plans to restrict mifepristone, but now it’s printed on FDA letterhead for all to see.
  • In coordination with J.D. Vance, Congressional Republicans are also attempting to misuse a 150-year-old law called the Comstock Act to block access to both abortion pills and medical equipment used for abortion care.
  • Trump and the GOP’s goal is to simply get abortion banned nationwide — starting with abortion pills. They know that goal is deeply unpopular, which is why they’re spreading lies and disinformation to cover up their real agenda.
  • Costco recently announced it will not dispense mifepristone at any of its 500+ pharmacy locations, citing “lack of consumer demand.” The announcement came after months of pressure from anti-abortion group Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) and other faith-based extremist groups.
  • Attacking medication abortion is Project 2025 come to life. The conservative playbook directly outlines strategies and avenues the GOP can take to restrict—and ultimately eliminate—abortion care nationwide.

State Attacks on Mifepristone

  •  After attempting to undermine New York’s shield law last year by suing a New York abortion provider for allegedly mailing medication abortion to a patient in Texas, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is now attempting to sue a New York court official who has successfully applied the state’s shield law to thwart these anti-abortion efforts.
  • A Louisiana prosecutor brought criminal charges against the same New York doctor for allegedly prescribing abortion pills to a Louisiana resident via telehealth.
  • In 2024, Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry signed a bill into law to classify mifepristone as a controlled substance, subsequently making it illegal to possess or dispense mifepristone for abortion care.
  • Texas enacted a bounty-hunter abortion ban, HB 7, which allows Texans to sue manufacturers, distributors, or providers of medication abortion and receive a minimum of $100,000 in damages.

States Working to Protect Mifepristone

  • New York and California have taken steps to protect medication abortion providers by passing legislation that allows doctors to use the name of their healthcare practice rather than their own names on prescriptions for mifepristone to be used in medication abortion care.
  • Illinois recently became the first Midwest state to require university health centers to provide medication abortion pills. California, Delaware, New York, and Massachusetts have similar laws in place.

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For over 55 years, Reproductive Freedom for All (formerly NARAL Pro-Choice America) has fought to protect and advance reproductive freedom at the federal and state levels—including access to abortion care, birth control, pregnancy and post-partum care, and paid family leave—for everybody. Reproductive Freedom for All is powered by its more than 4 million members from every state and congressional district in the country, representing the 8 in 10 Americans who support legal abortion.