The Supreme Court has extended an existing order that temporarily prevents restrictions on the abortion drug, mifepristone, from being enforced. This ruling comes amidst several conflicting court rulings on mifepristone, the most common method of abortion administered in the US, which led to legal confusion, prompting the high court to put a pause in place. Mifepristone along with misoprostol is part of a two-drug regimen for medication abortions, and existing regulations permit mifepristone to be dispensed by mail and administered up to ten weeks into pregnancy. Federal judges in Texas and Washington have issued opposing rulings on mifepristone, intensifying the legal confusion. These rulings have raised uncertainties over the drug regulatory process, and if upheld, they could prompt other challenges to long-standing and safe FDA-approved drugs, including vaccines against Covid-19 and hormonal birth control.

The stay, prompted by emergency requests from the Justice Department and drug manufacturer Danco Laboratories, follows a week of legal battles over mifepristone. The Supreme Court has issued a temporary hold until Friday, April 21, 2023.