Yes, he's still around and in the news. The most hated man in medicine, Martin Shkreli, the face of price-gouging has had his reasons for high prices debunked. The founder of Turing Pharmaceuticals is being schooled by Australian students whom have managed to recreate one of his active ingredients for as little as $20.
Students at Sydney Grammar started trying to make Pyrimethamine, the active ingredient in Daraprim, soon after Shkreli and Turing Pharmaceuticals price-gouged Americans to sell the medicine at $750 per pill, an increase of more than 5000%, but halved the price following backlash and bad publicity.
The drug named on the World Health Organisation's list of essential medicines is used to treat parasitic infections that most often occur in those with compromised immune systems, due to cancer treatments, HIV infections and also for pregnant women.
It was sold for $18 per tablet before production rights were acquired by Turing Pharmaceuticals and the price was hiked dramatically when Martin Shkreli acquired the marketing rights to the drug in August 2015.
At the time, he told Bloomberg he hiked up the prices because his company "need[ed] to turn a profit on the drug". – au.news.yahoo.com
Of course he couldn't let the accomplishment go without making a dig at someone.
Mr Shkreli has since dismissed the schoolboys` achievement, saying that making a small quantity of the drug is easy.
"I should use high school kids to make my medicines," he posted on Twitter.
"Why buy my equipment when I can use the lab`s for free?! And those teachers who told them what to do, they`ll work for free, right?"
The controversial pharmaceutical boss was arrested in December on allegations of securities fraud. He subsequently stepped down as the head of Turing. His trial is set for 26 June, 2017. – livetechnews.com
Congrats kids for taking the initiative and trying to make a difference.
I think we can all pretty
I think we can all pretty much guarantee that the teacher, and the equipment, could be had for the price he charged for just one 30 day supply of Daraprim. For a year supply, probably a good chunk of the school. He makes me want to vomit.