Pro-life CEO discusses potential impact of Trump's FDA nominee on abortion drug review

<p>John Mize, the CEO of Americans United for Life (AUL), stated that President Donald Trump's nominee for the FDA, Dr. Heidi Overton, may lead to increased scrutiny of mifepristone, the abortion drug currently under federal safety review. Mize, who has had multiple discussions with Overton, emphasized her pro-life stance and current role as Trump's deputy assistant for domestic policy.</p><p>"I think she's going to bring objectivity to the issue of mifepristone in a way that will expose this drug for the damage it causes women," Mize said in an interview on Friday. He expressed optimism that Overton would serve as a pro-life FDA commissioner.</p><p>Overton's nomination follows a recent incident involving an 18-year-old woman in North Carolina accused of using mifepristone and misoprostol to terminate a pregnancy at 31 weeks, exceeding the FDA's approved limit of 10 weeks for mifepristone.</p><p>Mize has led AUL for two-and-a-half years, advocating against abortion and other practices deemed threats to human life since the organization's founding in 1971. He believes Overton is qualified to lead the FDA due to her experience in government, clinical medicine, and medical research. If confirmed, she would oversee the regulation of abortion medications, including mifepristone.</p><p>Mifepristone carries an FDA boxed warning for the risk of serious and sometimes fatal infections or bleeding. The FDA had previously stopped enforcing the drug's in-person dispensing requirement in 2021 due to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions and later made this change permanent after reviewing safety data.</p><p>Under current FDA regulations, patients can receive prescriptions for mifepristone after telehealth visits, allowing the drug to be mailed by certified pharmacies. Mize advocates for tightening these rules.</p><p>"Dr. Overton and I share a very similar perspective that the drug is dangerous, particularly in an unregulated way for women," Mize stated. He believes Overton understands the clinical implications of using a drug with a black box warning that is shipped in the mail.</p><p>Overton has publicly criticized mifepristone and other abortion drugs, which accounted for about 65% of clinician-provided abortions in 2023, according to the Guttmacher Institute, an increase from 53% in 2020 prior to the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.</p><p>In a February 2023 policy brief for the America First Policy Institute, Overton criticized federal policymakers for expanding access to abortion pills and accused the Biden administration of misusing the COVID-19 pandemic to justify allowing mifepristone and misoprostol to be sent through the mail.</p><p>Mize referenced a 2025 study by the Ethics and Public Policy Center, which analyzed insurance claims from 865,727 mifepristone abortions between 2017 and 2023, reporting a serious adverse event rate of nearly 11%, including conditions such as hemorrhaging and infection. This study faced criticism from the medical community for its methodology and lack of peer review.</p><p>"It's not the whole picture, and Dr. Overton would say that," Mize acknowledged, but he considers it an important indicator of real-world events. He hopes Overton will impose stricter regulations on mifepristone after reviewing the evidence, potentially reinstating a requirement for women to see a doctor in person before obtaining a prescription.</p><p>Mize described Overton as "measured" and "methodical," cautioning that pro-life advocates should not expect immediate, sweeping changes at the FDA. "I don't get the sense that she's gonna move quickly on issues," he noted.</p><p>Dr. Marty Makary, the previous FDA commissioner, resigned in May after conflicts with Trump administration officials and criticism from pro-life activists regarding the agency's safety review of mifepristone. If confirmed, Overton would take over this review, which was formally announced in September 2025 and lacks a scheduled completion date, as such studies typically take a year or longer.</p><p>After the review, Mize indicated that he would prefer a comprehensive evaluation of mifepristone to determine its market status. He expressed a desire to see the drug removed from the market, stating, "From my perspective, any medication that denies someone the opportunity to live and kills a human being shouldn't be something that we're promoting amongst the FDA." He acknowledged that societal views may not align with this perspective at present.</p><p>Overton’s confirmation hearing has not yet been scheduled but is anticipated to occur after the Senate returns from its summer recess on September 14.</p>