What Is RU 486?
RU 486 (or Mifepristone) is a steroid hormone similar in structure to the natural hormone progesterone. Invented in 1980 by Dr. Etienne-Emile Baulieu for the French pharmaceutical company Roussel-Uclaf.

How Does RU 486 Work?
RU486 is an artificial steroid that interferes with the action of progesterone, a hormone crucial to the early progress of pregnancy.

How effective is the pill ?
Mifepristone pill is 93% effective until week 7 and 78% effective from week 7 to week 9 when Misoprostol is given 48 hours later.
Mifepristone pill alone is 86% effective until week 7 and 65% effective from week 7 to week 9.

What is the difference between Mifepristone, Mifegyne, Mifeprex and RU-486 ?
They are all the same.

What is the procedure ?
Three pills of 200 mg (milligram) RU 486 in tablet form are taken orally. (The pills should be taken all at once)
48 hours later 400 mcg (microgram) Misoprostol are taken orally to complete the abortion.

What is Misoprostol ?
Misoprostol is used to prevent gastric ulcers.
Cytotec , Cyprostol and Misotrol are brand names for Misoprostol.


In 33 countries including the United States, New Zealand, France, Israel, Sweden and Britain the drug
mifepristone, also known as RU-486, can be lawfully administered to women by their doctors under an approved
treatment regime. This is a ‘medical’ abortion rather than a ‘surgical’ one. Mifepristone, sometimes called the
‘abortion pill’, is used to terminate pregnancies 40 - 63 days gestation (up to a limit of 7 weeks pregnancy). The
woman initially takes a specified quantity of the drug then, in a further appointment two days later, a prostaglandin
(such as misoprostol) is administered and an abortion will follow. There is generally a follow up appointment after
two weeks to ensure that the pregnancy has been successfully terminated.