FDA to conduct safety hearings regarding RU-486

By Elizabeth Rhein

Published on May 19, 2006

Scheduled to begin on May 17, the congressional hearing was called by Rep. Mark Souder, who is anti-abortion. He wishes the panel to reexamine the safety of RU-486 in the wake of several recent deaths in women who were taking the drug.

Supporters of abortion rights and various drug safety experts stand behind the safety of the medication, sold under the brand name Mifeprex. They state that the cause of death among the women in question, bacterial sepsis, is a risk that is linked to any kind of abortion, whether surgical or medication-induced.

Opponents of RU-486 cite statistics that show a death rate about 10 times higher in medically induced abortions than those performed surgically. They argue that the FDA hastily approved the drug under pressure from the Clinton administration.

The hearing is expected to cover topics such as the approval process that the drug underwent in 2000, as well as more in-depth statistics regarding the medication’s safety compared to surgical abortions, other popular drugs, and the health risks of carrying a fetus to term.

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