California, New York start stockpiling abortion drug after judge's ruling

April 11 (UPI) -- California and New York both moved to stockpile the abortion drug mifepristone on Tuesday after a federal judge in Texas ruled to reverse its approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

California on Tuesday ordered an emergency supply of 2 million of the pills at the direction of Gov. Gavin Newsom's office.

"Abortion is still legal and accessible here in California, and we won't stand by as fundamental freedoms are stripped away," Newsom said in a statement.

Gov. Kathy Hochul, D-N.Y. confirmed Tuesday her state is acquiring 150,000 doses of the drug, which it thinks constitutes a five-year supply.

Earlier this month, U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk cited rushed FDA approval of the drug, ruling in favor of an anti-abortion group that originally filed a lawsuit in November, challenging the drug's approval despite its common use for decades.

Mifepristone was first approved for use in France in 1988 and given approval for use in the United States in 2000.

The Justice Department and drug maker Danco are appealing Kacsmaryk's ruling.

In February, a group of state attorneys general filed a lawsuit in Washington state, arguing the FDA excessively regulated the abortion pill. The suit asks the judicial system to block the FDA from further regulating mifepristone or reducing its availability.

The moves by New York and California Tuesday followed that of Massachusetts, which has already ordered 15,000 doses of the pills.

"Nothing has changed and nothing is going to change," Gov. Maura Healey, D-Mass., said Monday. "We will ride this out. People in Massachusetts will be protected."