The FDA told a Louisiana federal court its safety review of the abortion pill mifepristone will not be complete until March 2027, with study results expected in mid-December and no new restrictions imposed before then.
Why it matters: The timeline pushes any regulatory decision past the November midterms, which abortion-rights groups call a political calculation, while anti-abortion activists are pressing for faster action.
Data as of Single-sourced from The Hill (published Oct 7, 2026, article read in full via live browser; text fetch is blocked for thehill.com). Court filing details not independently verified.
The FDA disclosed the schedule in a Wednesday court filing, saying the agency’s review of mifepristone’s safety would produce a report in March 2027, with the underlying study results expected in mid-December. The agency also said no new restrictions on the drug would be imposed before the review concludes.
Separately, the FDA is reviewing mifepristone’s REMS safety program, a process the agency said would take longer than the safety review itself.