USA – Supreme court says FTC can sue over deals that delay generic drug sales
The Supreme Court ruled on Monday regulators can challenge deals between brand-name drug companies and generic rivals that delay cheaper medicines from going on sale, which regulators say increase costs to consumers by billions of dollars. But the court, in a 5-3 vote with Justice Samuel Alito recused, declined the Federal Trade Commission's request to declare the deals to be presumed to be illegal. The regulatory agency has fought the practice for more than a decade. "While we believe the Supreme Court decision will open the door to broader FTC scrutiny of brand/generic settlements, we believe a majority of settlements will still be allowed even if reviewed by the FTC," JP Morgan analyst Chris Schott said in reaction to the ruling. The companies in the case were brand-name…