Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.Jump to contentIndependentSwipe for next articleIndependent Bulletin homepageDownload our appAllNewsSportCultureLifestyleGeoff MulvvihillSaturday 02 May 2026 02:40 BSTRelated: Supreme Court Upholds FDA Regulation on Popular Abortion Drug MifepristoneA federal appeals court has significantly restricted access to mifepristone, a common abortion medication, by blocking its distribution through the mail.The New Orleans-based 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals now mandates that the abortion pill be dispensed solely in person at clinics.The ruling asserted that the FDA's actions facilitating abortion undermined Louisiana's policy recognizing an unborn child as a legal person from conception.This decision marks a departure from the historical judicial deference typically given to the Food and Drug Administration's judgments on drug safety and regulation.The ruling sets the stage for a likely appeal to the Supreme Court, which previously preserved access to mifepristone in 2024 by sidestepping core legal issues.In fullAppeals court blocks access to abortion pills via mail across USThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in