FTC guidelines justify blocking biopharma M&A

The FTC has released draft guidelines on the regulation of mergers that seek to explain and provide legal justification for the Biden administration’s attempts to broaden the scope of, and lower the threshold for, antitrust enforcement. The draft guidelines include justification for the FTC’s regulation of vertical mergers involving biopharma companies, including Amgen’s acquisition of Horizon.

Release of the guidelines starts the clock on a 60-day comment period. ...