mifepristone

Doctors and patients fear mifepristone could be pulled off the market when the legal wrangling ends. Already, they say, the legal climate has created a chilling effect that keeps some doctors from prescribing it.

The Supreme Court has left the case in the hands of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which has scheduled oral arguments in the case for May 17.

The justices now say to expect a ruling by Friday evening. In the meantime, here's a look at the abortion drug at issue, how the case got to the nation's highest court and what the delay might say about what's going on.

The announcement kicks the can down the road on what the high court will do for another few days. Mifepristone is used in about half of all abortions nationwide.

GenBioPro, which makes a generic form of mifepristone, is suing the FDA seeking to preserve access to the drug amidst ongoing federal litigation.

The justices are expected to issue an order on Wednesday in a fast-moving case from Texas in which abortion opponents are seeking to roll back Food and Drug Administration approval of the drug, mifepristone.

Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito has placed a hold on a lower court ruling that restricts access to the abortion drug mifepristone until Wednesday night.

Here's what really went down when the FDA originally approved mifepristone in 2000.

A Texas man is suing three women he says helped his ex-wife obtain an abortion "without even his knowledge." Experts say documents related to the case suggest he might have known ahead of time.

Some abortion rights advocates have little confidence the U.S. Supreme Court will side with abortion advocates on the abortion pill issue after the court last June struck down Roe v. Wade.