(Bloomberg) -- Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc. clinched regulatory approval for a deal to buy Rite Aid Corp. stores after a last-minute reduction of the number of stores and price, a hard-fought victory following two years of failed attempts.

The drugstore chain gained clearance from the U.S. Federal Trade Commission on its fourth try, but still drew criticism from one of the two commissioners currently on the short-staffed agency, who raised concerns that the deal will reduce competition and lead to rising prices for generic drugs.

Under the new agreement, announced Tuesday, Walgreens will buy 1,932 Rite Aid stores for $4.38 billion, becoming a bigger competitor to CVS Health Corp. That’s about 250 fewer stores than under a previous proposal, which totaled $5.18 billion.