For the second time, the Federal Trade Commission has filed a lawsuit alleging Endo International (ENDP) and Impax Laboratories violated antitrust laws by striking a deal that sought to eliminate competition for an opioid painkiller.
In filing its suit, the FTC pointed to a request made in 2017 by the Food and Drug Administration for Endo to voluntarily withdraw its reformulated version of the drug, which was called Opana ER, or extended release. The FDA took this step — a highly unusual move at the time — over concerns the drug was too easily abused. An FDA advisory panel had already recommended the drug should be withdrawn.
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