The Antitrust Week In Review

Here are some of the developments in antitrust news this past week that we found interesting and are following.

Senate calls hearing in Anheuser-Busch InBev mega beer deal.  Anheuser-Busch InBev’s bid to buy its biggest rival, SABMiller, will be the subject of a U.S. Senate hearing this week.  AB InBev, whose takeover of SABMiller would be one of the largest mergers in corporate history, announced last month that it would buy SABMiller for $106 billion.  AB InBev also said that it agreed to sell SABMiller ‘s stake in U.S. venture MillerCoors to help win regulatory approval.

States Take Closer Look at Regulatory Boards After Ruling.  States are taking a closer look at boards and commissions regulating everything from dentists to dietitians after the U.S. Supreme Court said some panels could be violating antitrust laws.  The concern is that boards made up of practicing professionals may be trying to put competitors out of business through cease-and-desist letters and other actions.

DOJ antitrust unit subpoenas Mylan over pricing of doxycycline.  The antitrust division of the U.S. Department of Justice has subpoenaed Mylan N.V. for information relating to the pricing and marketing of its generic doxycycline antibiotic products.  The Department of Justice has also sought information on any communication with competitors about the anti-bacterial products, the company said in a regulatory filing, adding it would cooperate with federal regulators.  The nearly 40-year-old antibiotic is used to treat bacterial infections such as acne, pneumonia, Lyme disease, chlamydia and syphilis.

Staples ready to sell more assets for Office Depot deal approval: Bloomberg.  Office supplies retailer Staples Inc. is willing to sell more assets to win antitrust approval for its $6.3 billion takeover of Office Depot Inc., Bloomberg reported on Thursday.  Under the deal announced in February, Staples had offered to divest about half of Office Depot’s assets with revenues of up to $1.25 billion.  In talks with the FTC, which is scrutinizing the deal, the company has already offered to divest assets worth half that amount, according to Bloomberg.