Amgen faces FTC-backed lawsuit over patent-application purchase amid insurer dispute

Amgen and a large health insurer are locked in a court fight over whether purchasing a drug patent application can be used to extend a monopoly on a medicine.

The case is drawing attention because a ruling could broaden scrutiny of pharmaceutical patent deals, which are often cited as tools for keeping drug prices high.

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission has stepped in on the side of payers and consumers, arguing that the maneuver raises antitrust concerns.

If the court limits such acquisitions, it could reshape how biotech firms and insurers structure patent strategies.