The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is scrutinizing mergers more carefully than in the past. The federal agency is currently trying to block a merger between Amgen and Horizon Therapeutics.
In its lawsuit, the FTC said that if it allowed Amgen’s $27.8 billion purchase to go through, Amgen could pressure the companies that manage access to prescription drugs — pharmacy benefit managers, or PBMs — to boost the two extremely expensive Horizon products in a way that would inhibit any competition.