The federal judge reviewing an agreement between the government and CVS Health, which allowed the pharmacy chain to purchase Aetna, said April 5 he wants to hold a hearing for opponents of the deal, according to Reuters.
In a recent court hearing, Judge Richard Leon of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia said he plans to listen to critics of the deal in May. The American Medical Association, AIDS Healthcare Foundation, and other pharmacy and consumer groups have spoken out against the deal.
While the Justice Department approved the $70 billion CVS-Aetna deal in October 2018, and the transaction closed in November of the same year, Mr. Leon is tasked with approving the department's consent decree on the merger. This process is often completed without pushback, but Mr. Leon was not as convinced the department's agreement with the company alleviated antitrust concerns.