The U.S. Supreme Court is set to review a case that may significantly impact access to mifepristone, the most commonly used abortion medication in the country. The court's decision will center on a dispute initiated by a conservative group, challenging the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) policies that have allowed expanded access to the drug.

Mifepristone, often paired with another drug, misoprostol, is the predominant method of terminating a pregnancy, accounting for over half of all abortions in the U.S. The case marks the Supreme Court's first substantial return to abortion issues since overturning the landmark Roe v. Wade decision, which had guaranteed federal constitutional abortion rights for nearly half a century.

The conservative group, Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine, alleges that the FDA minimized health risks associated with mifepristone during its initial approval in 2000 and its subsequent decisions to permit broader access. These include allowing online prescriptions, mail delivery, and pharmacy dispensing. The group contests the FDA's removal of "common-sense safeguards," emphasizing the drug's potential health risks.

The Supreme Court's ruling, expected by June, could profoundly impact healthcare, even in states with protective abortion laws, given mifepristone's prevalence. The case is particularly significant in the wake of the Roe v. Wade overturning, as mifepristone offers an alternative to surgical abortions, often curtailed in several states.

In a recent development, the Supreme Court blocked new restrictions on mifepristone set by lower courts. This decision was made following emergency requests by the Justice Department and Danco Laboratories, the pill's manufacturer. The lower court ruling, had it been implemented, would have substantially limited mifepristone's availability, prompting a response from President Joe Biden, who emphasized the high stakes for women's health across the nation.

The case's outcome could also influence the upcoming presidential race and further spotlight abortion as a critical issue. This is compounded by the high-profile nature of the arguments and their proximity to the election. Notably, two conservative justices, Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito, dissented from the decision to block the lower court's restrictions??????????????????????????????.