California's lawsuit against abortion pill reversal provider Heartbeat International goes to trial
A bench trial now underway in Alameda County Superior Court could determine whether California can penalize a nationwide pregnancy help network for offering abortion pill reversal, a treatment credited with helping women change course after starting a chemical abortion.
Heartbeat International and the pregnancy center RealOptions have been in court since June 24 defending themselves against a 2023 lawsuit brought by California Attorney General Rob Bonta, who accuses the groups of violating the state's False Advertising Law and Unfair Competition Law by describing abortion pill reversal as safe and effective. Bonta is seeking more than $20 million in penalties from Heartbeat International and roughly $600,000 from RealOptions, calculated at $2,500 for every alleged infraction.
Notably, Bonta's office has not produced a single woman in three years of litigation who claims she was misled by the treatment, and the lawsuit does not seek to ban abortion pill reversal itself, which remains a legal treatment offered by pro-life doctors since 2012. The protocol uses progesterone, a hormone approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and available since the 1950s, to counter the effects of mifepristone if taken within about 72 hours of the first chemical abortion drug. Peer-reviewed studies cited by supporters show success rates between 64 and 68 percent, and the treatment is credited with saving at least 8,000 unborn babies.
The state's first witness, Dr. Mitchell Creinin of UC Davis, is a paid consultant for Danco Laboratories, the maker of the abortion pill mifepristone, and authored a 2020 study questioning the treatment's safety, a conflict of interest pro-life advocates say undermines the state's case.
"Women deserve to know all of their options," said Heartbeat International General Counsel Danielle White, describing the stakes for mothers who change their minds after taking the first of two chemical abortion drugs.
Final Thoughts
Frank Pavone, national director of Priests for Life, and the organization have long championed abortion pill reversal as a lifeline for mothers who regret their decision mid-process. The trial, expected to run several more weeks, will test how far a state can go in policing the medical claims of pro-life pregnancy centers that exist to give mothers every option except abortion.
Related resources: Protecting mothers and unborn children at PriestsForLife.org
