Recent regulatory pressure has forced major medical device firms to abandon acquisitions while the FTC pivots its legal strategy in a high-stakes appeal against Meta’s alleged social media monopoly.
The landscape of American corporate competition is undergoing a rigorous stress test as federal regulators ramp up efforts to dismantle burgeoning monopolies. In the healthcare sector, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) recently secured significant victories by forcing the abandonment of two major medical device acquisitions. Alcon, Inc. terminated its $356 million bid for LENSAR, Inc. following a protracted investigation into laser systems for cataract surgery. The deal’s collapse came after the FTC signaled it would seek a court injunction, leading Alcon CEO David Endicott to cite the prohibitive costs and delays of the regulatory review as a primary deal-killer.
This pattern of enforcement extended to the cardiovascular market, where Edwards Lifesciences Corp. abandoned its $945 million acquisition of JenaValve Technology. A federal court granted the FTC a preliminary injunction in January 2026, finding that the merger would have granted Edwards a total monopoly over specific heart valve technologies currently in development. These actions suggest a strategic pivot by the FTC under Director Daniel Guarnera to protect innovation in nascent markets before a single player can achieve total dominance.
Beyond healthcare, the FTC is recalibrating its long-standing battle against Big Tech. The agency recently filed a notice to appeal a lower court ruling that favored Meta Platforms, Inc. While the district court previously accepted Meta’s broader market definition—which includes competitors like TikTok and YouTube—the FTC’s appeal strategy has shifted. The agency now argues that the court committed a legal error by requiring proof of Meta’s current monopoly power rather than focusing on historical conduct, specifically the acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp that allegedly neutralized competitive threats.
While the FTC and Department of Justice (DOJ) continue to challenge consolidation, the economic environment remains complex. The ISM Manufacturing PMI reached 52.7 in April 2026, indicating growth in production but also rising prices for consumers. Simultaneously, Big Tech firms are projected to spend $700 billion on AI in 2026, often by depleting cash reserves or increasing debt. This massive capital allocation raises concerns about future market concentration in the artificial intelligence sector, even as regulators struggle to maintain the current HSR premerger notification forms following recent court setbacks.
For small businesses and independent innovators, these regulatory interventions represent a necessary check on corporate overreach. However, the costs of these battles are tangible; in the Alcon-LENSAR case, LENSAR retained a $10 million deposit to offset losses from the abandoned deal. As the FTC continues to frame its enforcement actions as a means to protect American manufacturing jobs and consumer pricing, the tension between corporate expansion and market liberty remains at the forefront of the national economic debate.
Greg Sanders serves as the Senior Correspondent for Corporate Power and Antitrust at Just Right News, where he brings a principled, conservative perspective to the complex intersection of big business, government regulation, and the American consumer. With a career dedicated to investigative depth and economic clarity, Greg has become a leading voice in examining how the consolidation of industry power impacts the foundational values of the free market and individual liberty.
Raised in Denver, Colorado, Greg’s reporting is deeply informed by the Western spirit of independence and a healthy skepticism of centralized authority. Growing up in the shadows of the Rockies, he witnessed firsthand the importance of local entrepreneurship and the vital role that small-medium enterprises play in sustaining vibrant communities. This upbringing instilled in him a belief that the American Dream is best preserved when the playing field remains level and when competition—rather than backroom deals between corporate lobbyists and federal regulators—dictates success. For Greg, the rugged individualism of his home state serves as a constant reminder that the economy should serve the people, not the other way around.
Now based in Chicago, Illinois, Greg operates from the heart of the nation’s industrial and financial crossroads. His location in the Midwest provides him with a unique vantage point to observe the real-world consequences of corporate overreach. From the boardrooms of the Loop to the manufacturing hubs that define the region, he tracks the movement of capital and the shifting tides of market influence. Chicago’s history as a center of trade and labor offers a rich backdrop for his work, allowing him to bridge the gap between high-level economic theory and the lived experiences of hardworking Americans who feel the squeeze of monopolistic practices.
At Just Right News, Greg’s beat focuses on the “new monopolies” and the rise of “woke” corporate culture. He argues that when corporations become too large, they often abandon their fiduciary duties to shareholders in favor of social engineering and political posturing. His reporting seeks to hold these “Titans” accountable, ensuring that the power of the purse is not used to silence dissent or bypass the democratic process. He is a firm advocate for the idea that true conservatism requires a vigilant defense of competition, preventing any single entity—public or private—from exerting undue control over the lives of citizens.
This mission is most clearly seen in his acclaimed feature series, “The Titans and the Toll.” In this ongoing project, Greg explores the human cost of market consolidation, from the erosion of consumer choice to the decline of local economies. Through rigorous analysis and boots-on-the-ground reporting, he documents how the concentration of power in sectors like tech, agriculture, and finance creates a “toll” paid by the average family.
Greg Sanders remains committed to the idea that a transparent, competitive market is the greatest engine for prosperity ever devised. Through his work at Just Right News, he continues to provide the essential oversight necessary to protect that engine from the encroaching influence of corporate giants and the bureaucratic structures that enable them.