Danco Moves to Intervene in Lawsuit Challenging FDA Approval of Mifeprex®

Today, Danco Laboratories (Danco) filed a motion to intervene in Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine v. FDA, a lawsuit in which several anti-abortion organizations and four individual physicians asked a federal court to immediately suspend FDA’s approval of Mifeprex^®.  If the judge grants the plaintiffs’ request, it may block the availability of Mifeprex^® for medication abortion nationwide as early as mid-February. Prescribers across the United States may not be able to prescribe Mifeprex^® to their patients, because the drug could not be sold or shipped to certified healthcare providers. The plaintiffs filed this suit in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas, Amarillo Division, on November 18, 2022.

At a time when people across the country are already struggling to obtain abortion care services, this lawsuit aims to compound and limit access to abortion even further through a blatant attempt to completely deny people access to medication abortion care in the U.S.  The lawsuit is also a direct challenge to the FDA approval process for all pharmaceutical products.  Danco joins this action to ensure that the FDA approval of Mifeprex^® remains in force and people continue to have access to this safe and effective medication.

Over 5 million women have used Mifeprex^® in the United States since its approval for the termination of early pregnancy in 2000.  Mifeprex^® is 97% effective in terminating early pregnancy; approximately 3% of women will require surgical intervention for ongoing pregnancy, heavy bleeding, incomplete expulsion, or other reasons such as patient request.

MIFEPREX: Important Safety Information

WARNING: SERIOUS AND SOMETIMES FATAL INFECTIONS OR BLEEDING

Serious and sometimes fatal infections and bleeding occur very rarely following spontaneous, surgical, and medical abortions, including following MIFEPREX use. No causal relationship between the use of MIFEPREX and misoprostol and these events has been established.

MIFEPREX is only available through a restricted program called the Mifepristone REMS Program.

Before prescribing MIFEPREX, inform the patient about these risks. Ensure the patient knows whom to call and what to do if she experiences sustained fever, severe abdominal pain, prolonged heavy bleeding, or syncope, or if she experiences abdominal pain or discomfort or general malaise for more than 24 hours after taking misoprostol.

Contraindications

Warnings and Precautions

Infection and Sepsis

As with other types of abortion, cases of serious bacterial infection, including very rare cases of fatal septic shock, have been reported following the use of MIFEPREX. Healthcare providers evaluating a patient who is undergoing a medical abortion should be alert to the possibility of this rare event. A sustained (> 4 hours) fever of 100.4°F or higher, severe abdominal pain, or pelvic tenderness in the days after a medical abortion may be an indication of infection.

A high index of suspicion is needed to rule out sepsis if a patient reports abdominal pain, discomfort, or general malaise (including weakness, nausea, vomiting or diarrhea) more than 24 hours after taking misoprostol. Very rarely, deaths have been reported in patients who presented without fever, with or without abdominal pain, but with leukocytosis with a marked left shift, tachycardia, hemoconcentration, and general malaise.

Uterine Bleeding 

Uterine bleeding occurs in almost all patients during a medical abortion. Prolonged heavy bleeding (soaking through two thick full-size sanitary pads per hour for two consecutive hours) may be a sign of incomplete abortion or other complications and prompt medical or surgical intervention may be needed to prevent the development of hypovolemic shock. Counsel patients to seek immediate medical attention if they experience prolonged heavy vaginal bleeding following a medical abortion.

Excessive uterine bleeding usually requires treatment by uterotonics, vasoconstrictor drugs, surgical uterine evacuation, administration of saline infusions, and/or blood transfu­sions. Because heavy bleeding requiring surgical uterine evacuation occurs in about 1% of patients, special care should be given to patients with hemostatic disorders, hypocoagulability, or severe anemia.

Mifepristone REMS Program

MIFEPREX is available only through a restricted program under a REMS called the Mifepristone REMS Program, because of the risks of serious complications. Notable requirements of the Mifepristone REMS Program include the following:

Ectopic Pregnancy

MIFEPREX is contraindicated in patients with a confirmed or suspected ectopic pregnancy because MIFEPREX is not effective for terminating ectopic pregnancies. Healthcare providers should remain alert to the possibility that a patient who is undergoing a medical abortion could have an undiagnosed ectopic pregnancy because some of the expected symptoms experienced with a medical abortion (abdominal pain, uterine bleeding) may be similar to those of a ruptured ectopic pregnancy.

Women who became pregnant with an IUD in place should be assessed for ectopic pregnancy.

Rhesus Immunization

The use of MIFEPREX is assumed to require the same preventive measures as those taken prior to and during surgical abortion to prevent rhesus immunization.

Adverse Reactions

Most common adverse reactions (>15%) are nausea, weakness, fever/chills, vomiting, headache, diarrhea, and dizziness.  The frequency of adverse reactions varies between studies and may be dependent on many factors including the patient population and gestational age.

This is the Important Safety Information. For more information, please see the Full Prescribing Information, including BOXED WARNING and Medication Guide, available at www.earlyoptionpill.com.