Definition

1. Noun:
   • A pharmaceutical drug used to induce abortion: Mifepristone is a medication that terminates a pregnancy by blocking the hormone progesterone, which is necessary for a pregnancy to continue.

Usage

• Mifepristone is used in combination with another drug, misoprostol, for medical abortion.
• Its use is typically restricted to the early weeks of pregnancy and is subject to specific medical protocols and regulations.

Examples

• Noun:
  • The clinic prescribed mifepristone as part of the medical abortion protocol.
  • Access to mifepristone is regulated by law in many countries.

Advanced Usage

• "Mifepristone regimen": Refers to the specific two-drug protocol (mifepristone followed by misoprostol) used for medication abortion.
  • The standard mifepristone regimen is highly effective in the first ten weeks of gestation.

Variants and Related Words

• RU-486: The original trade name and common synonym for mifepristone.
• Antiprogestin: A class of drugs to which mifepristone belongs; it works by blocking progesterone receptors.

Synonyms

• Abortion pill: A common informal term for the medication.
• RU-486: The former brand name.

Notes on Meaning

• Mifepristone specifically refers to the first drug in a two-step medication abortion process. It is not synonymous with the entire procedure but is a key component of it.
• It is also investigated for other medical uses, such as the treatment of Cushing's syndrome or certain tumors, but its primary and most well-known use is for pregnancy termination.

Noun

1. an abortion-inducing drug (trade name RU_486) developed in France; when taken during the first five weeks of pregnancy it blocks the action of progesterone so that the uterus sloughs off the embryo