STAT Plus: Lawmakers ask FTC to scrutinize pharma mergers over antitrust concerns
Worried about a lack of competition and rising drug prices, several U.S. senators have asked the Federal Trade Commission to scrutinize pharmaceutical mergers and singled out a pair of pending deals — AbbVie’s proposed acquisition of Allergan, and Bristol-Myers Squibb’s bid to buy Celgene.
In arguing for greater scrutiny, the lawmakers noted there has been a “steady increase” in mergers and acquisitions in the pharmaceutical industry and also pointed to multibillion-dollar deals announced earlier this year by Pfizer and Roche.