The Food and Drug Administration has approved a new generic version of the abortion drug mifepristone, as conservatives slammed the decision as a stab in the back to the anti-abortion movement.

The new generic mifepristone is manufactured by Evita Solutions, which says its mission is to "normalize abortion" and make it "accessible to all."

Former Vice President Mike Pence, echoing many in the anti-abortion movement, called the approval a "complete betrayal."

The FDA "only approved a second generic mifepristone tablet because federal law requires approval when an application proves the generic is identical to the brand-name drug," Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said Oct. 2 on social media after news broke of the approval.

FDA reviewing mifepristone

Last month, Kennedy launched a Food and Drug Administration review of mifepristone, a pill used in nearly two-thirds of abortions across the U.S.

In his Oct. 2 post, Kennedy said Biden administration policies may have endangered patients by waiving a requirement that they see a doctor before obtaining a mifepristone prescription. "Recent studies already point to serious risks when mifepristone is used without proper medical oversight," he wrote.

Sen. Patty Murray, D-Washington, wrote X: "The data is as clear as ever, mifepristone is safe and effective."

A 'complete betrayal'

Pence, a leading evangelical Christian who served in the first Trump administration, called the decision "a complete betrayal of the pro-life movement that elected President Trump."

"Earlier this year, I opposed RFK’s nomination because he was unfit for the role and particularly over the concern that he would expand access to abortion, as he has done today," Pence wrote on X.

"This is shocking," wrote Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Missouri, who opposes abortion rights.

Evita Solutions will join GenBioPro to sell the generic version of Danco Laboratories' mifepristone, which is used to terminate pregnancy.

The FDA first approved mifepristone in combination with misoprostol in 2000.

Mifepristone blocks progesterone, the hormone that helps a woman's body maintain the lining of the uterus during pregnancy. Misoprostol is then taken to complete the abortion process.

The approval comes amid heightened scrutiny of abortion drugs, with the FDA currently reviewing the safety of mifepristone following pressure from conservative lawmakers and state attorneys general. Religious activist groups, including Inspire Investing and Alliance Defending Freedom, have campaigned against the pill.

In August, Costco Wholesale said it would not sell mifepristone across its U.S. pharmacy stores, citing low demand.

Contributing: Reuters

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Conservatives furious as FDA approves new generic abortion pill

Reporting by Dan Morrison, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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