墮胎提供者提起訴訟以保護和擴大墮胎藥的使用

布倫丹·皮爾森 / 2023 年 5 月 9 日 / 路透社 / 財團法人台灣紅絲帶基金會編譯

（路透社）– 一群墮胎提供者周一提起訴訟，旨在保留墮胎藥米非司酮 (mifepristone) 的使用權，因為反墮胎之反對者打算在另一起案件中禁止使用它。

這起訴訟是在維吉尼亞州夏洛茨維爾的聯邦法院提起的，與 17 個州和哥倫比亞特區的民主黨總檢察長 2 月份在華盛頓斯波坎提起的訴訟類似。

這兩起訴訟都將美國食品和藥物管理局列為被告，並要求法院下令取消目前聯邦對米非司酮(mifepristone)的限制，其中包括要求藥店獲得特別許可才能配藥。

銷售仿製藥米非司酮的 GenBioPro Inc 也在提起訴訟，以阻止 FDA 限制該藥物。

米非司酮 (mifepristone)是用於在頭 10 週內終止妊娠的兩種藥物方案中的第一種。 在美國之墮胎它被使用於超過一半的數量。

這三起訴訟都是對反墮胎組織去年在德克薩斯州阿馬里洛聯邦法院提起的訴訟的回應，該組織在 2,000 年質疑 FDA 對該藥物的批准。美國地區法官 Matthew Kacsmaryk 於 4 月 10 日暫停了對該藥物的批准。

同一天，總檢察長在斯波坎贏得了美國地方法官 Thomas Rice 的禁令，禁止 FDA 在其所在州對米非司酮實施任何額外限制。

Kacsmaryk 的命令被美國最高法院擱置，拜登政府提出上訴。 上訴將於下週由美國第五巡迴上訴法院的三名保守派反墮胎法官組成的小組審理。

週一訴訟中的提供者——Whole Woman’s Health、Blue Mountain Clinic、All Families Healthcare 和 Trust Women——在維吉尼亞、蒙大拿和堪薩斯提供墮胎服務，這些地方不在禁令範圍內。

「他們和他們的病人需要明確他們繼續提供米非司酮的情況」，訴訟稱。 他們說，地方法院的決鬥令對使用這種藥物造成了「每天、每週的不確定性」。

FDA 拒絕置評。 德克薩斯州訴訟中反墮胎原告的律師沒有立即回應置評請求。

（Brendan Pierson於紐約報導，Alexia Garamfalvi 和 Bill Berkrot 編輯）

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Abortion Providers Sue to Preserve, Expand Access to Abortion Pill

By Brendan Pierson / May 09, 2023 / Reuters

(Reuters) – A group of abortion providers on Monday filed a lawsuit aiming to preserve access to the abortion pill mifepristone as anti-abortion opponents aim to ban it in a separate case.

The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Charlottesville, Virginia, is similar to one filed in Spokane, Washington by the Democratic attorneys general of 17 states and the District of Columbia in February.

Both lawsuits name the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as a defendant and ask for court orders lifting current federal restrictions on mifepristone, which include a requirement that pharmacies be specially licensed to dispense it.

GenBioPro Inc, which sells a generic version of mifepristone, is also suing to block the FDA from restricting the drug.

Mifepristone is the first of a two-drug regimen used to terminate a pregnancy within the first 10 weeks. It is used in more than half of U.S. abortions.

All three lawsuits come in response to a lawsuit last year by anti-abortion groups in Amarillo, Texas federal court challenging the FDA’s approval of the drug in 2000. U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk on April 10 suspended approval of the drug.

The same day, the attorneys general won an injunction from U.S. District Judge Thomas Rice in Spokane barring the FDA from enforcing any additional restrictions on mifepristone in their states.

Kacsmaryk’s order was put on hold by the U.S. Supreme Court while the Biden administration appeals. The appeal is set to be heard by a panel of three conservative, anti-abortion judges of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals next week.

The providers in Monday’s lawsuit – Whole Woman’s Health, Blue Mountain Clinic, All Families Healthcare and Trust Women – provide abortions in Virginia, Montana and Kansas, which are not covered by the injunction.

“They and their patients require clarity around their continued provision of mifepristone,” the lawsuit said. They said the dueling district court orders had created “day-to-day, week-to-week uncertainty” about using the drug.

The FDA declined to comment. Lawyers for the anti-abortion plaintiffs in the Texas lawsuit did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

(Reporting By Brendan Pierson in New York, Editing by Alexia Garamfalvi and Bill Berkrot)