(Reuters) -The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Evita Solution’s generic version of the abortion drug, mifepristone, the regulator said.
The drug is manufactured by the privately held company that describes its mission as being to “normalize abortion” and make it “accessible to all,” the FDA said in a letter dated September 30.
Evita will join GenBioPro to sell the generic version of Danco Laboratories’ mifepristone, which is used to terminate pregnancy.
The FDA first approved mifepristone in combination with misoprostol in 2000.
Mifepristone blocks progesterone, the hormone that helps a woman’s body maintain the lining of the uterus during pregnancy. Misoprostol is then taken to complete the abortion process.
The approval comes amid heightened scrutiny of abortion drugs, with the FDA currently reviewing the safety of mifepristone following pressure from conservative lawmakers and state attorneys general. Religious activist groups, including Inspire Investing and Alliance Defending Freedom, have campaigned against the pill.
In August, Costco Wholesale said it would not sell mifepristone across its U.S. pharmacy stores, citing low demand.
(Reporting by Siddhi Mahatole in Bengaluru; Editing by Alan Barona)
