Maine Attorney General Aaron Frey has joined 17 other states in a lawsuit against the FDA over restrictions on one of two drugs used for medication-based abortion.

The FDA includes the drug mifepristone in a list of Risk Evaluation & Mitigation Strategies, or REMS drugs. That means the drug’s prescription and distribution falls under a series of restrictions that the lawsuit argues are unnecessary.

The suit, first filed on Feb. 23, initially included attorneys general from 12 states. On Thursday, six more states, including Frey on Maine’s behalf, joined the suit.

“There is no medically justified reason for the higher burden placed on people trying to obtain mifepristone,” Frey said. “To inappropriately categorize mifepristone along with other riskier drugs will serve to deter and restrict people who have a right to end a pregnancy through this extremely safe medication.” 

In a statement, Frey noted that REMS drugs typically include dangerous medications such as opioids and high-dose sedatives but mifepristone, he said, has fewer side effects than Viagra and Tylenol, neither of which are classified as REMS drugs.