FTC names top staff for antitrust, consumer affairs

WASHINGTON, April 14 (Reuters) - The U.S. Federal Trade Commission, which enforces antitrust law and consumer protection, named an expert in health care issues to head its antitrust division, the agency announced on Tuesday.

Richard Feinstein was appointed director of the FTC's Bureau of Competition after a stint at law firm Boies, Schiller & Flexner LLP.

He was formerly an assistant director in the Bureau of Competition's division focusing on pharmaceuticals and health care providers and payers. He worked at the FTC from October 1998 to June 2001.

The FTC has recently moved against drug companies on a variety of fronts, and Feinstein's appointment indicates this is likely to continue.

On March 31, the FTC said Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMY.N) would pay a $2.1 million penalty for failing to inform the FTC that it had sought to delay a generic form of its blockbuster Plavix blood clot preventer from coming to market.

In February, the FTC and state regulators challenged agreements made by Solvay SA (SOLB.BR) with generic drug companies Watson Pharmaceuticals Inc (WPI.N) , Par Pharmaceuticals (PRX.N) and Paddock Laboratories to delay their production of a cheaper version of Solvay's drug AndroGel.

In December, the FTC sued Ovation Pharmaceuticals, accusing it of price-gouging on the only drugs used to close holes in the hearts of premature babies. Ovation bought the rights to Indocin in 2005 and NeoProfen in January 2006.

Christine Varney, a former FTC commissioner who has been nominated to head the Justice Department's antitrust division, said at her confirmation hearing if she were confirmed her division would shift gears and work closely with the FTC on issues like drug company settlements with other companies to delay production of cheaper generic drugs.

The FTC also named David Vladeck to head the Bureau of Consumer Protection. He has been teaching at Georgetown University Law Center and before that was at the Public Citizen Litigation Group for 30 years, including 10 years as director, the FTC said.