Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Texas Lawmaker Pushes For Abortion Pill Reclassification
Mother Jones: Texas May Be Next State To Restrict Abortion Pills As “Controlled Substances”
Pat Curry, a Republican lawmaker in Texas, pre-filed a bill in the state legislature this week that would classify the two drugs as schedule IV substances there. The next legislative session does not begin until January 14—if passed, the bill would take effect in September 2025. Curry did not immediately respond to a Facebook message from Mother Jones on Sunday. (McShane, 11/17)
Axios: Abortion Pills May Be FDA's First Test Under Trump
While the early focus on a Trump administration Food and Drug Administration has been on vaccine policy, one of its first moves could be overhauling the federal rules that have made it easier to access the widely used abortion pill mifepristone. Use of the drug has surged as states enacted near or total abortion bans after Roe v. Wade was overturned in 2022. But new agency leadership could quickly move to roll back some of the policies that were the focus of a closely watched Supreme Court case this year. (Reed, 11/18)
Al.Com: Southern Baptist Leader Urges Trump To Restrict ‘Evil’ Abortion Pill, Remove Transgender Protections
The head of the Southern Baptist Convention’s public policy arm implored President-elect Donald Trump to quickly adopt pro-life positions and undo Biden administration executive orders shielding transgender people from discrimination when he takes office in January. In a letter to Trump’s transition team dated Monday, SBC Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission President F. Brent Leatherwood outlined “five critical policy actions that reflect deeply held values for Southern Baptists and warrant the incoming administration’s immediate attention during President Trump’s first 100 days in office.” (Koplowitz, 11/15)
Very Well Health: Do Abortion Pills Expire? What To Know About Stockpiling The Drugs
Mifepristone has about a five-year shelf life, and misoprostol lasts about two years. While having this medication on hand is important for some people, stockpiling the pills can lead to shortages. (Brown, 11/15)
In other news —
Fox 5 Vegas: Las Vegas Woman Claims Birth Control Shot Caused 3 Brain Tumors
A Las Vegas couple has filed a lawsuit against the pharmaceutical giant Pfizer and other generic manufacturers for one of their birth control products, which they believe causes brain cancer. According to court documents, Tina Stephens-Smith and her husband have filed ten separate claims for relief against Pfizer after being diagnosed and treated for a type of brain cancer. The lawsuit details that Greenstone and Pfizer distributed a “generic” version of Depo-Provera, a birth control shot, also known as Medroxyprogesterone acetate. Court documents state that scientific studies have confirmed Depo-Provera can cause or substantially contribute to the growth of intracranial meningioma, or a type of brain tumor. (Defran, 11/15)
