Update on Deaths in Women Taking Abortion Pill RU-486

After looking into the recent deaths of two U.S. women following their use of the abortion pill RU-486 (Mifeprex), the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ruled out medical abortion as the cause of one death. The second case is still under investigation.

The two deaths in March brought the total to six U.S. women and one Canadian woman whose deaths may have been related to taking Mifeprex and the follow-up drug Misoprostol two days later.

About 560,000 women have taken the pills since their approval in September 2000 for ending a pregnancy of less than 50 days. In most cases, the second drug was taken by mouth; however, some women were advised to insert Misoprostol vaginally. A very small number of these women developed serious or fatal infections.


The FDA will hold a public hearing in Atlanta in May to address the growing number of infections from bacteria called Clostridium sordelli.

There is increasing political momentum in the U.S. House of Representatives in support of Hollys Law, a bill calling for withdrawal of RU-486 from the market.

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