A federal appeals court on Wednesday wiped away a lower court's ruling that would've taken the medication abortion drug mifepristone off the market, but upheld aspects of the ruling that could cut back access to the pills.

An appeals court hearing Wednesday in the blockbuster abortion pill case will set the stage for how the Supreme Court will eventually approach the legal dispute, where anti-abortion activists are asking the courts to pull the main drug used in medication abortions off the market.