In recent years, concerns about transactions in the pharmaceutical sector harming innovation and competition through the discontinuation of overlapping drug R&D projects, so-called “killer acquisitions”, have prompted regulatory action and research.
On 28 November 2024, DG Competition published an ex-post evaluation study into ‘killer acquisitions’ in the pharma sector performed by Lear.
The first part of the study assessed, through fact-finding, the pervasiveness and characteristics of the phenomenon of killer acquisitions.
The second part of the study presents an ex-post evaluation of cases that may have involved killer acquisitions and assesses the Commission’s past enforcement to address potential killer acquisitions.
The objective of the workshop is to discuss the findings of the study with economic and legal experts also comparing the findings of the study to other recent research.
Programme
- 14:00Welcome by Michele Piergiovanni (DG Competition)
- 14:05 – 14:35Presentation of the report by Paolo Buccirossi / Alessia Marrazzo / Douglas Nave (Lear)
- 14:35 – 15:25First panel discussion: Prevalence of ‘killer acquisitions’ and their impact on innovation competition
- Carmine Ornaghi (University of Southampton)
- Florian Ederer (Boston University)
- Justus Haucap (University of Düsseldorf)
Chair: Vincent Verouden (DG Competition)
- 15:25 – 15:35Break
- 15:35 - 16:25Second panel discussion: The various legal forms of possible ‘killer acquisitions’ and their detectability
- James Southworth (US Federal Trade Commission)
- Anne Robert (Sidley, Brussels)
- Thomas Wollmann (Chicago Booth)
Chair: Ulla Schwager (DG Competition)
- 16:25 – 16.30Concluding remarks by Thomas Deisenhofer (DG Competition)