The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has granted early termination of the waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976 (HSR) with respect to Actavis plc's pending acquisition of Durata Therapeutics, Inc.

The early termination of the HSR waiting period satisfies one of the conditions to the closing of the pending acquisition, which remains subject to other customary closing conditions.  Both companies expect the transaction to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2014.

Actavis plc , headquartered in Dublin, Ireland, is a unique specialty pharmaceutical company focused on developing, manufacturing and commercializing high quality affordable generic and innovative branded pharmaceutical products for patients around the world.

Durata Therapeutics is a pharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of novel therapeutics for patients with infectious diseases and acute illnesses.