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On October 21, 1993, Drs. Mitchell Creinin and Phillip Darney of the University of California at San Francisco publicized the results of their study of methotrexate as an abortifacient. The study, published in the journal Contraception, involved ten women, eight of whose pregnancies were successfully terminated. (Since the original study, more than fifty women have undergone the experimental procedure.)

The most significant aspect of the UCSF study, according to Nancy Tompkins, editor of the pro-choice newsletter Choosing Choice, is the fact that methotrexate is already on the market and FDA-approved for other purposes. Before its use as an abortifacient can be anything other than experimental, however, someone has to apply for a “supplemental indication” approval, which is generally easier to get than a new-drug approval.

Others are less optimistic than Tompkins. Thus far, no drug company has publicly requested a supplemental indication approval, and according to Wayne Koberstein, editor of Pharmaceutical Executive, “it is very unlikely that any large brand-name company will take this on.” Ironically, what may prevent methotrexate from becoming widely available for abortion is its low cost (four dollars per dose compared to two hundred dollars for RU 486). Because of this, methotrexate is unlikely to be a big profit-maker, and companies may be unwilling to risk the wrath of antiabortion groups by marketing it. Even if a company does take this chance, the drug’s approval is probably at least one or two years away.

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THE FACTS SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES.

At least we hope they will, because that’s our approach to raising the $350,000 in online donations we need right now—during our high-stakes December fundraising push.

It’s the most important month of the year for our fundraising, with upward of 15 percent of our annual online total coming in during the final week—and there’s a lot to say about why Mother Jones’ journalism, and thus hitting that big number, matters tremendously right now.

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So we’re going to try making this as un-annoying as possible. In “Let the Facts Speak for Themselves” we give it our best shot, answering three questions that most any fundraising should try to speak to: Why us, why now, why does it matter?

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