Judge Denies Block on Mifepristone Mail Rules, Pauses Suit

A federal judge in Louisiana on Tuesday denied a request to immediately block nationwide rules allowing prescriptions for the abortion pill mifepristone to be filled and mailed, pausing the state's lawsuit against the U.S. Food and Drug Administration until the agency completes a safety review of the drug.

U.S. District Judge David Joseph, based in Lafayette, ruled against Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill, who sought to halt the FDA's 2023 regulations that permit telehealth prescriptions and mail delivery of mifepristone without in-person visits. The medication, approved by the FDA in 2000, is used in about 60 percent of U.S. abortions as the first part of a two-drug regimen with misoprostol to end pregnancies before 10 weeks. It is also employed for miscarriage management. Joseph granted the federal government's motion to stay the case, emphasizing that the pause would not be indefinite. He ordered the FDA to provide a status update on its review within six months and warned that failure to complete the analysis promptly could alter the court's stance.

In his opinion, Joseph noted that Louisiana and its co-plaintiff, a state resident who alleged her boyfriend coerced her...