FTC Approves ANI Deal To Buy Novitium, With Divestments

Specialty pharmacy company ANI Pharmaceuticals Inc has won US antitrust approval to buy Novitium Pharma on condition it divest rights or assets related to two generic medicines, the Federal Trade Commission said on Wednesday.

The companies, which announced their $210 million deal in March, agreed to sell ANI’s development rights to generic sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim oral suspension, a combination of antibiotics, and assets related to generic dexamethasone, used to treat inflammation and arthritis.

ANI already sells the antibiotic and is well-positioned to sell the anti-inflammatory while Novitium is a potential seller of both.

“Preserving the potential for entry ensures that the merged firm does not kill off ongoing product development efforts that could cause prices for its products to go down,” said Holly Vedova, director of the FTC’s Bureau of Competition, in a statement.

Under the terms of the proposed order, ANI and Novitium are required to divest ANI’s rights and assets to generic SMX-TMP oral suspension and generic dexamethasone tablets to Prasco within 10 days after the acquisition is final.

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