US pharmacy benefit manager Omnicare says opposition from US antitrust enforcers has scuttled its US$457 million bid for rival PharMerica.

The US Federal Trade Commission’s administrative law judge has ruled that ProMedica Health System’s purchase of rival Ohio-area hospital St Luke’s harmed competition in the region’s health care market. The ruling’s publication comes exactly one year after the commission first sued to stop the deal.

The US Federal Trade Commission has put its litigation against US microprocessor maker Intel on hold, signalling a potential early end to the commission’s monopolisation allegations against the company.