DOJ files appeal after judge reverses FDA approval of abortion drug

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: ABC News

A federal judge in Texas on Friday ruled to suspend the abortion drug mifepristone, which was approved by regulators 23 years ago and has now become one of the most common methods of abortion in the country. U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk ruled to suspend the FDA's approval of mifepristone. The ruling is paused for seven days so the federal government may appeal.

Late Friday, the Department of Justice appealed the decision to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. Attorney General Merrick Garland said the Department of Justice strongly disagreed with the decision. "Today's decision overturns the FDA's expert judgment, rendered over two decades ago, that mifepristone is safe and effective. The Department will continue to defend the FDA's decision," Garland said in a statement.

Kacsmaryk, a Trump appointee, held a hearing on the issue on March 15 in Amarillo, Texas, where the conservative plaintiffs in the case argued the Food and Drug Administration was wrong to approve mifepristone. Meanwhile, a Washington state judge issued a dueling injunction on Friday in a separate case regarding the status of the FDA's approval of mifepristone.

In his ruling, Judge Thomas Rice of Washington's Eastern Federal District Court granted the preliminary injunction requested by the plaintiffs, made up of Democratic attorneys general, and prevents the FDA from "altering the status quo and rights as it relates to the availability of mifepristone." GenBioPro, the manufacturer of generic mifepristone, responded to Kacsmaryk's ruling and said they were confident in the legality of the drug.

Read more: https://abcnews.go.com/Health/judge-reverses-fda-approval-abortion-drug-after-23/story?id=97894986

[republianmushroom]

1. good

[JudyM]

2. Remarkable, same-day appeal. Way to work it!

[CaptainTruth]

3. How do the Texas plaintiffs have standing?

I haven't followed the Texas case in detail. The article says "Erik Baptist, senior counsel with Alliance Defending Freedom, the group that filed the Texas lawsuit"...

On what basis does "Alliance Defending Freedom" have standing to challenge the FDA approval of anything? It seems to me like the suit should have been dismissed due to lack of standing, but was this just a case of this Texas judge wanting to issue a certain ruling so he let it proceed?

Any input from the legal minds here would be appreciated, thanks!

[wiggs]

4. Read the ABC article. Still don't understand why the Texas judge thinks there are

safety concerns. Are there medically and scientifically-based safety concerns that are new? What's the basis for saying it shouldn't have been approved in the first place?

Haven't heard elsewhere either what the reasoning is.

[wiggs]

5. Ah...saw another DU post that the antiquated Comstock Act is a basis for

the Texas pill lawsuit. Comstock Act is 150 years old...

[Ligyron]

8. An Act full of puritanical nonsense long ruled unconstitutional for the most part.

There we were, winning lawsuit after lawsuit across the country over the years eliminating idiotic restrictions on speech, books, sex, dress in schools, on and on it went and the country sure looked to be moving in a more and more progressive manner right up until 2016...

...and we found out that even though most people embraced a liberal agenda and voted a woman into the White House, apparently large numbers of our countrymen were repressed, angry, poorly educated and hateful people who considered themselves the only "true Americans", jealous of other's success as they watched Asians and other minorities pass them up and earn more than they ever would but which required discipline and higher education.

Those people were the hated "elites" that Donald Trump, an elitist New York Yankee ironically enough, hated just like them.

[Delmette2.0]

10. The puritan women knew how to use herbs and would make their own abortion tea.

Just because men were not told of these remedies doesn't mean the knowledge didn't exist.

[Ligyron]

11. Well, we made need to find a few of them before this mess is cleared up.

[Upthevibe]

6. BumRushDaShow......

I get so confused about how Judges can make rulings that effect people in states all over the country.

I'm glad the DOJ is responding.....

[Shipwack]

7. I agree, but remember how we celebrated when a judge would block a TFG policy?

What's good for the goose is good for the gander...

Not coming out in defense of his ruling, of course.

[Rebl2]

9. Same here

Seems to happen a lot the last few years. A judge should never be able to stop the use of a drug like this that has been used safely for over twenty years. Only the FDA should be allowed to do this.