The US Supreme Court has temporarily halted a ruling that set limits on access to the abortion pill mifepristone.
The pause ordered by Justice Samuel Alito is the latest move in an ongoing legal battle over the drug’s safety.
Last week, a Texas court had ordered the drug to be pulled off the market.
A lower appeals court responded to the Texas ruling by keeping the drug available, but with conditions.
But on Friday, Justice Alito, a conservative, halted the restrictions until right before midnight on 19 April, after the Biden administration filed an emergency appeal to the Supreme Court to restore access to the drug.
The delay will give justices more time to review the case. Justice Alito asked that additional briefing material be filed by 18 April.
Mifepristone is used in more than half of all US abortions. Experts say the legal fight about its safety will have far-reaching implications for both abortion access and drug regulation in the United States.
The drug was first…
This article was written by and originally published on www.bbc.co.uk