Medical Device Coating Merger Poses Antitrust Threat, FTC Argues

A merger between two major players in the field of medical device coatings would undermine competition and ultimately threaten patient safety, the Federal Trade Commission argued Thursday in Chicago federal court.

“Hydrophilic coatings help save lives,” FTC attorney Maia Perez said during opening statements for what is expected to be a lengthy evidentiary hearing. “This high-performance, high-stakes technology is not born in a vacuum. It is a direct result of competition.”

The FTC, along with the states of Illinois and Minnesota, are hoping to block private equity firm GTCR BC Holdings from acquiring Surmodics Inc. They want Northern District of ...