Shutterstock in Pink Sheet PharmaIntel, 9 April 2023
TEXAS
What plaintiffs targeting the abortion pill want might not even be possible
“The attention and confusion around this case might end up being the most impactful aspects about it, as many legal scholars doubt the judge has the legal authority to do what plaintiffs are asking for, which boils down to forcing the FDA to essentially recall a drug that for two decades has maintained a record of efficacy and safety. But regardless of the lawsuit’s outcome, legal experts still think a ruling that even briefly or partially favors plaintiffs will likely have lasting consequences on U.S. abortion access and affect medication policy beyond abortion.”
SOURCE: Louisiana Illuminator, by Sofia Resnick, 25 March 2023
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Justice Department and abortion pill manufacturer ask appeals court to freeze Texas judge’s order
The Justice Department and a manufacturer of medication abortion drugs asked a federal appeals court on Monday to put on hold a judge’s ruling that could make the drug unavailable nationwide after Friday. The requests, filed on Monday before the US 5th Circuit Court of Appeals, are seeking a short-term administrative stay as well as a long-term stay pending appeal on a lower court ruling from US District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk, who ordered the Food and Drug Administration’s approval of the drug to be suspended.
SOURCE: CNN, by Tierney Sneed, Ariane de Vogue, 10 April 2023
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US Health Secretary slams abortion pill ruling
“We want the courts to overturn this reckless decision,” Xavier Becerra, the US Health Secretary said. “We want, yes, that women continue to have access to a drug that’s proven itself safe. Millions of women have used this drug around the world.” The nation’s top health official said he did not rule out defying the judge’s order if necessary.
SOURCE: AP News, by Hope Yen, 9 April 2023
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More than 200 pharmaceutical executives sign open letter calling for reversal of Texas abortion pill ruling
More than 200 pharmaceutical executives signed on to an open letter calling for the reversal of a federal judge’s decision to suspend the Food and Drug Administration’s approval of mifepristone, including Albert Bourla, the CEO of Pfizer.
SOURCE: CNBC, by Annika Kim Constantino, 10 April 2023
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Massachusetts, California begin stockpiling abortion pills
These two Democratic-led states are stockpiling abortion pills following the ruling last week by the judge in Texas. California had secured about 2 million pills of misoprostol and Massachusetts stockpiled 15,000 doses of mifepristone, as the Biden administration appealed the ruling that said the Food and Drug Administration’s approval of mifepristone 23 years ago was unlawful.
SOURCE: CBS News, by Joe Ruiz Jr, 10 April 2023
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Opinion: Right-wing judges may cripple the Republican Party
The US District judge’s widely panned ruling blocking the Food and Drug Administration’s approval more than 20 years ago of an effective and safe medication, mifepristone, used both for medical abortions and to treat miscarriages, is another in a string of decisions from right-wing US judges that may well boomerang.
SOURCE: Washington Post, by Jennifer Rubin, 11 April 2023
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Texas judge’s ruling ignites new showdown that could harm Republicans
A single conservative judge in Texas has provoked sudden health care and legal chaos by halting the nationwide use of a popular abortion drug by the end of the week.… But the ruling is causing sharp political reverberations amid criticism from health care regulators and providers.
SOURCE: CNN, by Stephen Collinson, 10 April 2023