
Researchers from the Charlotte Lozier Institute have taken legal action against Sage Publishing after the company retracted several studies on abortion pill risks. The lawsuit, filed by ten pro-life researchers, claims that Sage’s decision to pull the studies was driven by political motives rather than scientific evidence.
The studies in question, two of which dealt with the dangers of chemical abortions, were retracted in February after a reader filed a complaint alleging misleading data and bias due to the authors’ affiliations with the pro-life movement. Dr. James Studnicki, vice president of the Charlotte Lozier Institute, said the retractions not only damaged the authors’ reputations but also violated the ethics of scientific publishing.
One study, published in late 2021, found a 500% increase in emergency room visits related to chemical abortions from 2002 to 2015. Another study from 2022 focused on repeated ER visits by women who failed to inform their doctors about undergoing chemical abortions. Both studies have been referenced in federal court decisions involving the FDA’s suspension of mifepristone’s approval.
Dr. Studnicki, who was removed from the editorial board of one of Sage’s journals shortly before the retractions, called the publisher’s actions politically motivated. The lawsuit aims to force Sage into arbitration to address these concerns.
The safety of chemical abortions has become a hot topic, especially after Kamala Harris falsely claimed that a woman’s death in Georgia was due to an abortion ban. In fact, the woman had used mifepristone, highlighting the dangers of the drug. Despite these risks, CVS and Walgreens have both announced plans to dispense the abortion pill, sparking further debate.