# How did the abortion pill (RU-486) get its name?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-abortion-pill-ru-486-get-its-name/148310>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [January 13, 2003, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-abortion-pill-ru-486-get-its-name/148310 "2003-01-13T15:51:51Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Church\_Key\_Kid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Church\_Key\_Kid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Church_Key_Kid)\
**Post date:** [January 13, 2003, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-abortion-pill-ru-486-get-its-name/148310/1 "2003-01-13T15:51:51Z")

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Is the name of the abortion pill, RU-486, just an unusual coincidence, or does the name really come from an abbreviation for saying “Are you for 86?” (or “Are you for killing someone?”).

Note that I am not arguing whether or not the abortion pill or the act of abortion counts as killing someone, I am merely asking if that is how the pill got its name. If not, what does the name of the pill actually mean?

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**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\
**Post date:** [January 13, 2003, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-abortion-pill-ru-486-get-its-name/148310/2 "2003-01-13T16:23:24Z")

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RU stands for Roussel Uclaf, the french company that first produced the steroid. The 486 is just a code for identifying a particular experimental compound: 11B-[p-(Dimethylamino)phenyl]-17B-hydroxy-17-(1-propynyl)estra-4,9-dien-3-one. The names Mifeprex, or Mifepristone, were only applied to the drug _after_ it had shown its utility.

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**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\
**Post date:** [January 13, 2003, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-abortion-pill-ru-486-get-its-name/148310/3 "2003-01-13T16:24:14Z")

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It’s the initials of the pharmaceutical company (Roussel-Uclaf), and the number is just an internal company code number. The drug’s chemical name is mifepristone.

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**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\
**Post date:** [January 13, 2003, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-abortion-pill-ru-486-get-its-name/148310/4 "2003-01-13T16:42:43Z")

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RU-469 seems like a better way to stay unimpregnated.

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**Author:** ![scout1222](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/34f0e0/32.png) [@scout1222](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scout1222)\
**Post date:** [January 13, 2003, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-the-abortion-pill-ru-486-get-its-name/148310/5 "2003-01-13T18:35:01Z")

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Ah, but for the randomness of science, that WOULD have been the name.

Ah, compound #469 - please show yourself worthy of clinical development…

😃