Federal appeals court preserves access to abortion pill for now but tightens rules

A federal appeals court has preserved access to an abortion drug for now but under tighter rules that would allow the drug only to be dispensed up to seven weeks, not 10, and not by mail.

The drug, mifepristone, was approved for use by the Food and Drug Administration more than two decades ago. It's used in combination with a second drug, misoprostol. The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans ruled Wednesday just before midnight.

By a 2-1 vote, a panel of three judges narrowed for now a decision by a lower court judge in Texas Friday that had completely blocked the FDA's approval of the drug following a lawsuit by mifepristone's opponents.