FTC
EU to Disallow Illumina's Grail Purchase
Separately, the US Federal Trade Commission said it will appeal an administrative law judge's initial decision in an antitrust case that was favorable to Illumina.
Illumina Says Judge Issued Favorable Decision in FTC Challenge to Grail Acquisition
According to the firm, the judge "rejected the FTC's position that the deal would adversely affect competition" of multi-cancer early detection tests.
The FTC claimed that Illumina can and will disadvantage Grail's rivals, but lawyers for the companies said the merger's benefits outweigh "speculative harms."
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.