About two weeks ago, a physician on the Infectious Disease Society of America (IDSA) listserve asked if anyone else was experiencing difficulty acquiring pyrimethamine (Daraprim), a drug used to treat toxoplasmosis and malaria in combination with other medications. Others responded that they too were experiencing shortages. Little did we know then what we know now. This was not an ordinary shortage. This was a takeover. Overnight, the cost of pyrimethamine, which has been around for over 60 years and is on the WHO list of essential medicines shot up from $13.50 a tablet to $750, a whopping 5500% increase!
Why? The reason is Turing Pharmaceuticals bought the rights to this medication last month, and it’s founder & chief executive Martin Shkreli, sees nothing wrong with profiting from the pain and suffering of thousands of people.
In the US, the drug is primarily used for toxoplasmosis, an opportunistic protozoan infection acquired from food exposure (undercooked meat) or environmental exposure (cat faeces). It is a major cause of morbidity in people who already have weakened immune systems such as those with cancer or HIV. It is also very dangerous if the infection is acquired in pregnancy, especially early on as it can lead to disabilities in the unborn child.
Of course, part of what is happening here is “big pharma” as usual. It isn’t the first time that an old medication is bought by a new company that hikes up its price. Who hasn’t waited for a patent to almost run out then re-patent a drug under a different use? But today I read some of what 32-year-old former hedge fund manager Shkreli had to say about people’s outrage about the price hike and I’m so disappointed and beyond disgusted. As if telling Bloomberg that the price hike was necessary because the company ‘needed to turn a profit‘ was not enough this person has taken to his Twitter to post comments such as this.
@bp4Christ aint my fault
— Martin Shkreli (@MartinShkreli) September 21, 2015
What a guy!
He has said publicly that proceeds from the price hike will go to raising awareness for toxoplasmosis (um, done!) and to improve treatments and develop new treatments for neglected tropical diseases. Sounds wonderful and I really hope that is true. We do need new therapies. But he just doesn’t sound like a very responsible person. I certainly see no empathy in the words that he has shared with the world. Furthermore, it’s disturbing that his venture before this one was another drug company, Retrophin, that he founded that also went around buying the rights to little-known medications used to treat rare diseases and later increasing their prices. He was forced out by that company and is now being sued by them for misappropriation of funds.
Meanwhile back to reality. Doctors and patients are scrambling to see what they can do. Alternative medications (not really) and Turing sponsored patient co-pay programs (gee, thanks) are more likely. Expecting a health insurance company to foot the bill? Sure, and we will all see the price in our premiums and federal taxes (as related to Medicare).
If only people could go buy their medications in other countries.
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