What is Mifepristone?

Mifepristone (formerly known as RU-486) is a medication that blocks the action of the hormone progesterone. Progesterone is needed to sustain a pregnancy. Mifepristone has been used, in combination with other medications called prostaglandins, for medical abortion since 1988 in France and China, and since the early 1990's in the United Kingdom and Sweden. It has been licensed for use in 37 countries including the United States where it was approved in September 2000. Millions of women worldwide have safely used mifepristone regimens to end their pregnancies.

Mifepristone(CAS NO.: 84371-65-3) is used alone or in combination with misoprostol (Cytotec) to end an early pregnancy. Early pregnancy means it has been 49 days or less since your last menstrual period began. Mifepristone is in a class of medications called antiprogestational steroids. It works by blocking the activity of progesterone, a substance your body makes to help continue pregnancy.

Mifepristone comes as a tablet to take by mouth. It should be taken only in a clinic, medical office, or hospital under the supervision of a qualified doctor. You will take three tablets of mifepristone at one time on the first day. Two days later you must go back to your doctor. If your doctor is not certain that your pregnancy has ended, you will take two tablets of another medication called misoprostol. You may have vaginal bleeding for 9 to 30 days or longer. Fourteen days after taking mifepristone, you must go back to your doctor for an exam or ultrasound to make sure that the pregnancy has ended. Take mifepristone exactly as directed.

Mifepristone is also sometimes used to end pregnancies when more than 49 days have passed since the woman's last menstrual period; as an emergency contraceptive after unprotected sexual intercourse ('morning-after pill'); to treat tumors of the brain, endometriosis (growth of uterus tissue outside the uterus), or fibroids (noncancerous tumors in the uterus); or to induce labor (to help start the birth process in a pregnant woman). Talk to your doctor about the possible risks of using this drug for your condition.

Mifepristone also has some side effects on our health. Side effects, such as pain, cramping and vaginal bleeding, result from the abortion process itself, and are therefore expected with a medical abortion. Other side effects may include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, chills, or fever. Complications are rare, but may include infection, excessive vaginal bleeding requiring transfusion (occurs in approximately 1 in 500 cases), incomplete abortion or ongoing pregnancy which requires a suction abortion (see above). In exceedingly rare instances, as with miscarriage, suction abortion and childbirth, death may occur. Reports of death after medical abortion are very rare - less than 1 in 100,000 cases - a rate comparable to that for early surgical abortion and for miscarriage.

Mifepristone is available only from your doctor. It is stored at room temperature at 77 degrees F (25 degrees C) away from light and moisture. Brief storage between 59-86 degrees F (15-30 degrees C) is permitted. Keep all medicines away from children and pets.Do not flush medications down the toilet or pour them into a drain unless instructed to do so. Properly discard this product when it is expired or no longer needed. Consult your pharmacist or local waste disposal company for more details about how to safely discard your product.

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