Washington, D.C. — Today the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a new abortion drug named “ella” as an “emergency contraceptive.” Ella operates the same way as RU-486, by blocking progesterone receptors and interfering with the uterine lining. Embryos cannot implant or, if already implanted, die from lack of nutrition.
Wendy Wright, President of Concerned Women for America, stated:
“The FDA underscored the point that this decision was driven by politics by releasing it late on a Friday when people are not paying attention. They do not want scrutiny of their irresponsible decision.
“Abortion providers are not limited from using ella past the five-day approved period, taking advantage of its deadly capabilities to cause an abortion. The FDA approval of ella as a morning-after pill may be an attempt to skirt laws banning federal funding of abortion, so our tax dollars will pay for this abortion drug.
“The FDA allowed HRA Pharma to avoid fully testing the drug to determine — as trials indicate — if ella causes birth defects to keep women in the dark on what kind of serious complications it may cause to her and her baby.
“This irresponsible approval is consistent with the shoddy manner that FDA has treated reproductive drugs for women, such as RU-486 and the birth control patch. The FDA treats serious complications and even death as preferable to pregnancy. Not many women would agree with that.
“Trial lawyers should start lining up now to do what the FDA refuses to do — hold HRA Pharma and Watson Pharmaceuticals responsible for their deception and the damage their drug will cause women.”