US: FTC commends 2013 highlights

The Federal Trade Commission has released its 2013 Annual Highlights, commending some of the high points in the agency’s year.

According to reports, FTC chairwoman Edith Ramirez made a point to emphasize the regulator’s work in pharmaceutical mergers as officials look for ways to crack down on anticompetitive behavior resulting from pay-for-delay schemes, in which brand name companies pay generic companies to delay the release of their cheaper product.

Included in the highlights was the FTC’s challenge of generic drug maker Mylan’s plans to acquire Aguila Specialties in a $1.85 billion deal.

Not surprisingly, the FTC also highlighted its decision to require generic drug maker Actavis to divest rights and assets to four drugs following its acquisition of Warner Chilcott, made for $8.5 billion. That deal was cleared by the regulator late last year.

Perhaps the most significant highlight for the watchdog was the Supreme Court’s ruling last year that allowed pay-for-delay deals to be scrutinized by antitrust regulators in a reversal of an earlier ruling in FTC v. Actavis.

Full Content: The Pharma Letter

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