Private equity firms Blackstone Group and Carlyle Group have withdrawn their bids for Corncordia Healthcare over concerns the Food and Drug Administration's efforts to curb drug prices may hurt the Canadian pharmaceutical company's earnings in the U.S., reports Wall Street Journal.
Concordia, based in Oakville, Ontario, focuses on orphan drugs and legacy pharmaceutical products and has $1.58 billion in market capital, according to the article. But potential investors wonder if the company can maintain current profitability as the FDA implements new regulations to spur market competition.
In March, for instance, the FDA said it would expedite the approval process for certain drugs, particularly for generics made by a single manufacturer. This kind of competition could harm profits for some of Concordia's most lucrative products, investors told Wall Street Journal.
Final bids for Concordia were due Tuesday.