FTC review

Illumina faces potential fines in Europe for moving ahead with the deal but felt it had to act now in order to make sure it went through at all.

The US Federal Trade Commission's recent challenge raises the question who Illumina can acquire while remaining a quasi-monopolist for sequencing equipment.

Illumina said it plans to "vigorously defend" the deal and oppose the FTC, which previously helped scuttle Illumina's proposed acquisition of Pacific Biosciences.