WASHINGTON, March 6 (Reuters) - The U.S. Federal Trade

Commission sued on Thursday to block medical device coatings

maker Surmodics' ( SRDX ) acquisition by private equity firm

GTCR, with the regulatory agency alleging the deal was

anticompetitive.

The FTC said the deal would create a combined company

controlling more than 50% of the market for outsourced

hydrophilic coatings.

"These coatings are often used by medical device

manufacturers and are applied to lifesaving medical devices such

as catheters and guidewires," the regulatory agency said in a

statement.