The Federal Trade Commission’s redacted formal complaint against Benco Dental Supply, Henry Schein, and Patterson Companies is now available online. The complaint primarily focuses on a dentists’ buyers group in New Mexico and the buyers’ groups represented by the Texas and Arizona dental associations.
The government purports to present inter-firm and intra-firm email and text communications between the defendants. If true, these communications could be very damaging to the defendants’ case and overall reputations in the dental supply industry. The defendants have denied the FTC’s charges.
“Contrary to the FTC’s allegations, the Company was a leader in supplying buying groups, has consistently done business with buying groups, has a dedicated team to serve buying groups, and never entered into an agreement with others to refuse to do business with buying groups,” Henry Schein said in a statement.
“Based on the FTC’s original definition of buying groups, the company does business with more than 100 buying groups. Even under a narrower definition recently advanced by the FTC, the Company has done business, and continues to do business, with the very groups it is now accused of boycotting,” Henry Schein continued.
“The Company believes that the allegations as described are meritless and intends to defend itself vigorously. The complaint seeks injunctive relief and does not seek monetary damages. The Company does not anticipate that this matter will have a material adverse effect on our financial condition or results or operations,” Patterson said in a statement.
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