The US Supreme Court appeared sceptical of an effort to restrict access to a commonly used abortion drug, mifepristone, during a Tuesday hearing.

Several members of the court questioned whether it was an appropriate challenge of the drug’s federal approval.

It is the most significant abortion case before America’s top court since it ended the national right to abortion in June 2022.

The outcome could affect abortion access for millions.

This case centres on decisions made by the Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, to loosen restrictions of mifepristone’s use since 2016.

The Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine, an umbrella group of anti-abortion doctors and activists, filed a lawsuit in November 2022 alleging that the drug is unsafe and that the federal agency inappropriately expanded access to it.

Numerous studies have shown that mifepristone, which was first approved by the FDA in 2000, is safe.

But the group, which includes medical professionals, has also argued that its members might suffer harm by having to treat patients who used mifepristone to end a pregnancy. They said that would be in opposition to their own religious beliefs.

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