Abortion pill in trouble again

May 11 2006

Clostridium sordellii is a rare germ that has killed four women who took the abortion pill RU-486 and has also been implicated in the deaths of at least 11 other women following childbirth or miscarriage.

Experts believe these numbers suggest the bacterium's threat could be broader than previously thought and appears to be growing in prevalence in hospitals and nursing homes, and is increasingly resistant to antibiotics.

Even though the deaths of women who took the abortion pill Mifeprex has not been linked to the medication, U.S. health officials are under pressure from conservatives to take Mifeprex or RU-486 off the market.

Since the controversial drug was approved five years ago, six women who took the pill have died but the Food and Drug Administration has not attributed their deaths to the drug.

Nevertheless many U.S. lawmakers and anti-abortion groups are calling for it's withdrawal.

It appears that three of the six fatalities involved the rare bacterium Clostridium sordellii and four of the women were given part of the drug regimen vaginally, which is an unapproved method.

The FDA says another death was not related, and the remaining case is under review.

The drug is taken along with another drug called misoprostol early in pregnancy to trigger an abortion and is unrelated to the emergency contraception Plan B.

A meeting has been convened by the FDA along with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, to discuss the infections and decide what, if any, research is needed.

U.S. health officials are also carrying out a review by a panel of mostly outside experts to examine related infections in tissue graft patients and outbreaks of Clostridium difficile bacteria infections in several states.

According to the FDA the aim of the meeting is to bring together scientific and public health experts to develop a draft research agenda to foster a better understanding of the infections.

Drug manufacturer Danco has said about 575,000 women have taken Mifeprex since its approval and there is no evidence linking it to the deaths and has repeatedly said the pill is safe.

Apparently eight fatal cases of Clostridium sordellii infection in women who had just given birth have also been reported in medical literature and the CDC says last month it has discovered reports of two fatal cases of the same infection in women who had miscarriages in their second trimester.

Some experts wonder if RU-486 might suppress the immune system, which would increase susceptibility to bacteria already present in the vaginal canal.

They say pregnancy also suppresses the immune system, and the dilation of the cervix, whether because of abortion, childbirth or miscarriage, which also may let bacteria penetrate deeper into the body.

Various species of Clostridium bacteria are found naturally in roughly one in 1,000 women.

Mifepristone works by blocking a hormone required to sustain a pregnancy and when followed two days later by another drug, misoprostol, induces contractions, and the pregnancy is terminated.