FTC Accuses Endo Pharmaceuticals Of “Pay-For-Delay” Agreements; Analysts Not Worried

The Federal Trade Commission said Thursday that Endo Pharmaceuticals violated federal antitrust laws by paying Impax Laboratories and Watson Laboratories to delay launching their approved generic versions. The latest case is the first by the commission that challenges an agreement not to market an authorized generic. FTC claims “pay-for-delay” agreements cost consumers billions According to the FTC’s complaint, Endo Pharmaceuticals paid Impax and Watson to eliminate the risk of competition for Opana ER and Lidoderm in violation of the Federal Trade Commission Act. In its compliant, the FTC alleges that Endo agreed in 2010 to pay Impax Laboratories to drop a patentvchallenge lawsuit…