
Pharma in the crosshairs: How the FTC is expanding its antitrust powers under its new chair
Less than a month since her Senate confirmation, the new, young and staunchly progressive Federal Trade Commission chair Lina Khan is ready to up the pressure on unfair business practices, including at the largest pharma companies. To do that, Khan is rolling back restrictions on antitrust investigations and potentially opening the flood gates on Big Pharma M&A.
On Thursday, Khan led a vote to approve a series of resolutions that direct agency staff to ramp up its investigations, via subpoenas or otherwise, around seven specific enforcement priorities, including pharma companies, PBMs, and hospitals. While the commission has historically required its antitrust staff to obtain the full commission’s approval to begin such investigations, the FTC will now be able to open investigations or issue subpoenas with only one commissioner’s approval, and that includes investigations into pharma companies.
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