WASHINGTON (Legal Newsline) — The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced June 14 that, following a public comment period, it has approved a final order settling charges that outpatient kidney dialysis chain DaVita Inc.’s $358 million acquisition of competitor Renal Ventures Management LLC would be anti-competitive.
The FTC had alleged in March that DaVita’s acquisition would lead to anti-competitive effects in certain markets because a new entry to the market was unlikely. This would result in higher prices and reduced quality when it comes to dialysis services. The specific markets mentioned in the complaint were Brick, Clifton, Somerville, Succasunna, and Trenton in New Jersey, and Denton and Frisco in the Dallas area.
To settle the allegations and move forward with the acquisition, DaVita agreed to divest the seven clinics to PDA-GMF Holdco LLC, a joint venture between Physicians Dialysis and GMF Capital LLC.
The FTC voted 2-0 to approve the final order. Lisa DeMarchi Sleigh of the Bureau of Competition is the staff contact for the case.