The U.S. Food and Drug Administration says it will complete its safety review of the abortion pill mifepristone in March, after earlier plans to finish related work by December. The agency’s disclosures come as the Trump administration and the FDA seek to determine how the medication should be made available, including whether any new limitations are warranted.
The timing is also tied to litigation. NBC News reports that a federal judge in Louisiana orders the agency to provide updates on the study as part of a lawsuit challenging a provision that allows mifepristone to be delivered by mail. According to The Hill, the FDA tells the court it will not publish its safety review until March and does not expect to impose new restrictions before then. The different outlets frame the March deadline as both an administrative milestone and a flashpoint for supporters and opponents of abortion access.
Across the reports, the key points are the March completion target and the absence of new restrictions prior to the FDA’s review being published.
