Washington D.C., Aug 16, 2010 / 11:11 am
After the Federal Drug Administration recently approved the new drug ella, which is being marketed as emergency contraception, numerous pro-life groups reacted strongly to the move, claiming that the pill acts as an abortifacient.
On Aug. 13, the FDA released a statement announcing the approval of ella for distribution in the United States, explaining that in June, an advisory committee “unanimously voted that the application for ella provided compelling data on efficacy and sufficient information on safety for the proposed indication of emergency contraception.” Ella has been approved for distribution in Europe since May of this year.
Although the drug is being marketed internationally as a morning after pill, the FDA statement also noted that “women with known or suspected pregnancy and women who are breastfeeding should not use ella.”
Numerous pro-life critics denounced the FDA's approval of the pill, with many arguing that the drug is mislabeled and misleading because it acts as an abortifacient.