US: Commissioner Wright champions FTC impact on antitrust doctrine

Speaking at he 2013 Georgetown Global Antitrust Symposium Dinner on Tuesday, Wright spoke on the FTC’s mission to “improve the antitrust doctrine,” highlighting the regulator’s ability to influence judicial thinking in the decisions the FTC makes.

The FTC is most effective at shaping the application of competition law when its decisions not only shape judicial thinking, Wright said, but also when the effects of those decisions can “reverberate across multiple industries and consumer groups.”

In his speech, Wright highlighted the role of the regulator’s lawsuit against Phoebe Putney Health Systems, which reached the Supreme Court earlier this year. The Court ruled that a state action doctrine does not overrule the FTC’s jurisdiction, resolving a nearly two-year case stemming from the FTC’s blocking of a hospital merger.

Wright similarly highlighted an earlier reverse payments lawsuit, in which the Supreme Court ruled that companies can be sued for making pay-for-delay agreements within the pharmaceutical industry.

The complete speech can be read through the link below.

Full Content: FTC

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