Republican lawmakers have filed a brief with the Supreme Court supporting Louisiana's legal challenge to federal regulations governing mifepristone, one of two medications used in abortion procedures. The brief backs Louisiana's efforts to restore what supporters call safety safeguards for the abortion pill.

The legal filing alleges that loosened FDA rules for mifepristone have created safety risks and enabled coercion, according to the Republican lawmakers' arguments. The brief represents the latest development in ongoing litigation over access to the medication.

Courts are currently considering whether to end telemedicine access to mifepristone as part of broader legal challenges to how the FDA regulates the drug. The medication is used in combination with a second pill for medication abortions.

The Supreme Court case stems from Louisiana's challenge to FDA regulations that have governed the prescribing and dispensing of mifepristone. The state argues that current federal rules lack adequate safety protections.

The legal battle over mifepristone access has created uncertainty about the availability of medication abortion, which accounts for more than half of all abortions in the United States. The Supreme Court's eventual decision could affect how the abortion pill is prescribed and distributed nationwide.