HHS Secretary RFK Jr Orders FDA Review of Abortion Pill Mifepristone Amid Safety Concerns

U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has ordered a comprehensive review of the abortion pill mifepristone by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) following new data suggesting a significantly higher rate of serious adverse events than previously reported. Kennedy described the data, highlighted during a Senate committee hearing by Sen. Josh Hawley, as "alarming" and indicated that the drug's label should be changed. The data in question comes from a study by the Ethics & Public Policy Center, which claims nearly 11% of women who took mifepristone experienced serious complications, a rate much higher than the FDA's official reports of under 0.5%. However, many scientists and abortion rights advocates criticize the study as flawed and inconsistent with extensive prior research demonstrating the drug's safety and effectiveness, noting that some counted complications are not caused by mifepristone itself. Anti-abortion groups have used the study to push for stricter regulations or removal of mifepristone from the market, while experts caution that the new analysis overstates risks and includes cases, such as ectopic pregnancies, that are unrelated to the medication. Kennedy's call for the FDA review reflects ongoing debate around mifepristone safety amid political and scientific disagreements.