BRIEF—FTC staff reportedly now back long-delayed Roche buy of Spark

According to a report from Capital Forum, the US Federal Trade Commission staff reviewing Roche’s plan to acquire USA-based gene therapy specialist Spark Therapeutics for $4.3 billion have recommended that the deal be approved without requiring any asset sales.

First announced in February this year, completion of the deal has been delayed half a dozen of times by the FTC, including when the agency asked for more information in June, when it was also announced that the UK’s competition watchdog would also be opening an investigation.

The latter has still not come up with a verdict. Roche has never revealed what worries were mentioned by the two competition authorities but, along with its third-quarter results earlier this month, the Swiss pharma giant said it expected the transaction to complete before year-end.

Following the US FTC staff’s recommendation, officials at the top of the FTC’s Bureau of Competition must weigh in.

The next step would be a vote by the FTC chairman and four commissioners.