The Supreme Court of the United State’s decision to end the constitutional right to abortions (Roe v. Wade) has garnered attention for one of America’s most common abortion-inducing drugs, mifepristone. The drug, originally FDA approved in 2000 for use inducing pregnancy termination, has shown promise in other treatment areas like cancer, hormonal diseases, and mental health disorders. However, because individual states determine abortion laws now, access to mifepristone may be restricted for research purposes even outside of pregnancy termination. 

Mifepristone’s Current Uses and Mechanisms of Action

The FDA approved mifepristone for two indications: early pregnancy termination in conjunction with misoprostol and the second came in 2012 to treat Cushing’s syndrome.