Immucor Falls Under DOJ Antitrust Scrutiny

NORCROSS, Ga. (AP) — Blood-testing equipment maker Immucor Inc. said Friday it received a subpoena from the U.S. Justice Department asking for documents as part of an antitrust investigation.

The department requested documents dating to Sept. 1, 2000. The investigation is focusing potential violation of antitrust laws in the blood reagents industry, which sells products used for various types of blood tests. Immucor said it intends to fully cooperate with the investigation.

The company did not disclose further information on the investigation.

Shares of Immucor plunged following disclosure of the subpoena request. The stock lost $5.34, or 25.5 percent, to reach $15.64 in afternoon trading. The stock reached its lowest point in more than four years, hitting $13.75 earlier in the trading session.

This is the second time in as many years the company has come under scrutiny by a federal agency.

In a separate matter, the Food and Drug Administration last May warned the company over manufacturing procedure violations at its Norcross, Ga. plant. At the time, FDA inspectors said the company did not have a clear procedure for handling products that did not meet standards. In some cases, the company released batches of blood tests that had bacterial contamination before completing an investigation.

The FDA did not place limitations on the company's products or plants.