RU-486 Mifipristone - Drug Blocks Progesterone Receptors in the Products of Conception

RU-486, a drug manufactured in China by a small privately held US Company, is a component of the medical termination treatment which is widely used in the US, Europe and Canada. This drug "Mifipristone", acts by blocking progesterone receptors in the products of conception.

RU-486 blocks the sustaining pregnancy hormone Progesterone, which stimulates growth and development of the placenta at the beginning of conception, surrounding and sustaining the embryo. The second component is a prostaglandin called Misaprostol, which acts by making the uterus contract, thus expelling whatever is in the womb.

The combination of these treatments has been known to cause a very rare and lethal clostridal infection caused by clostridia sordellii. Clostridia Sordellii makes two principle toxins which are called lethal and hemmorhagic toxins. These toxins are closely related to clostridia toxins which cause tetanus and gas gangrene. All patients with this complicating medical infection have died.

Since the availability of medical termination as an important option to surgical termination of pregnancy; D&C or suction curettage, it is imperative to understand what predisposes to this rare (one in 70,000 medical terminations), invariably lethal complication. The signs and symptoms of this syndrome include flulike symptoms, naused, very low blood pressure and ultimately shock to the system.

Experiments in animals confirm that treatment with RU-486 and Misaprostol dramatically increases the deadliness of experimental in animals. Since a single treatment of RU-486 lasts in the body for seven days this means that the bodies ability to dampen inflammation and their effects of severe infection caused by clostridia sordellii is powerfully activated. The issue has been raised that a single drug treatment rather than a combination may be essential to the health and safety of women today.

The CDC and FDA are currently weighing up these considerations. While discussions continue it has been suggested that medical termination providers either discontinue the use of RU-486 or fully explain the very possible and lethal risks to their patients. The choice would be then in the hands of the patients rather than keeping them in the dark.