Mifeprex, the US brand name for the drug mifepristone or RU-486, is known as the abortion pill. In combination with the drug misoprostol, it produces nonsurgical or medical abortions for women who prefer to go through the abortion process at home instead of in a clinic. Already controversial under the abortion debate, the pill generated concern in recent years when several women died of septic shock after using Mifeprex (RU-486). The septic shock or sepsis was caused by the bacterium Clostridium sordelli, a bacterium not usually associated with disease.
The FDA (Food and Drug Administration) issued a Mifeprex warning on July 19, 2005, but emphasized that there has been no proof that Mifeprex caused the infections. A November 4, 2005 FDA update stated that all the cases in which California women had died of septic shock had involved the same bacterium. Critics of Mifeprex claim that Mifeprex may interfere with the body’s glucocorticoid mechanism in a way that promotes unhealthy inflammation and leads to septic shock and other serious infections.
The manufacturer of Mifeprex, Danco Laboratories of New York, sent a letter to health care practitioners and emergency room directors on July 19, 2005, warning them that infections had occurred.
Individuals have filed Mifeprex lawsuits against health care providers and against Danco Laboratories for injuries that occurred after using Mifeprex. For details see Mifeprex (RU-486) Lawsuits, Litigation & Lawyers.
If you have suffered serious side effects like infection or excessive bleeding after using Mifeprex, you may be entitled to recover damages for your injuries. If you are considering an abortion, you should discuss the relative safety of surgical and nonsurgical abortions with your health care provider. If you do decide to use Mifeprex, you should always follow up with your health care provider a week or so after the procedure, know the warning signs of serious side effects, and stay close to emergency medical help for a few weeks after the procedure.
Check out the following articles for more information about Mifeprex, filing a Mifeprex lawsuit and finding a Mifeprex attorney.