Pfizer, Thermo Fisher, 200 Companies Warned by FTC Over Deals

The US Federal Trade Commission warned hundreds of companies including Pfizer Inc., Baxter International Inc. and Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. that it could challenge their acquisitions even after the deadline for the agency’s antitrust review had passed.

The FTC sent at least 204 “close-at-risk” letters cautioning companies that an investigation remained ongoing even though the 30 days allotted for the agency’s initial review had expired. The letters, which haven’t been previously disclosed, were sent between June 2021 and July 2022 and obtained by Bloomberg through a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit.

The antitrust agency adopted a new practice of ...