Alabama’s dental board sued the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), seeking to halt the agency’s investigation into whether it is violating antitrust laws by enforcing teledentistry restrictions against web-based teeth-straightening business SmileDirectClub, reported Bloomberg Law.
“Alabama is free to regulate the health, safety, and welfare of its citizens, including by establishing requirements for the practice of dentistry within this state, without unlawful interference from the federal government or its regulatory agencies, including the FTC, under the guise of Sherman Antitrust Act scrutiny,” the complaint states.
The lawsuit, filed in the US District Court for the Northern District of Alabama, stems from an investigation on SmileDirectClub, which supplies 3-D printed teeth aligners without the need to visit a doctor’s office, sued Alabama’s Dental Board and its members in 2018.
The company alleges that the board, in the name of public health and safety, improperly stymied its ability to compete in order to protect traditional dentists and orthodontists’ business interest.
Full Content: Bloomberg
Want more news? Subscribe to CPI’s free daily newsletter for more headlines and updates on antitrust developments around the world.
Featured News
Judge Mehta Questions Both Sides in Landmark Google Antitrust Case
May 2, 2024 by
CPI
FCC Urges Urgent Funding for Removal of Chinese Telecom Equipment from U.S. Networks
May 2, 2024 by
CPI
Former Pioneer CEO Facing Potential Criminal Charges For Colluding With OPEC
May 2, 2024 by
CPI
South Korea’s Antitrust Regulator Greenlights K-Pop Powerhouse Deal
May 2, 2024 by
CPI
Exxon’s Pioneer Purchase Approved, Former CEO Barred from Board
May 2, 2024 by
CPI
Antitrust Mix by CPI
Antitrust Chronicle® – Economics of Criminal Antitrust
Apr 19, 2024 by
CPI
Navigating Economic Expert Work in Criminal Antitrust Litigation
Apr 19, 2024 by
CPI
The Increased Importance of Economics in Cartel Cases
Apr 19, 2024 by
CPI
A Law and Economics Analysis of the Antitrust Treatment of Physician Collective Price Agreements
Apr 19, 2024 by
CPI
Information Exchange In Criminal Antitrust Cases: How Economic Testimony Can Tip The Scales
Apr 19, 2024 by
CPI