Turing Pharmaceuticals got into a lot of trouble a few months ago when it took a relatively inexpensive drug and jacked up the price by 5,000 percent.

 

CEO Martin Shkreli's company bought the rights to Daraprim in August, then immediately raised the price from $13.50 to $750. The drug is used to treat toxoplasma gondii parasite, which can cause seizures, blindness, and neurological damage in people with compromised immune systems. It is often used by individuals battling cancer or HIV.

 

Following an online backlash, Shkreli promised to lower the price of the drug. However, he refused to commit to a specific amount.

 

Yesterday, the Wall Street Journal revealed the drug's cost would be lowered by 50% to $375 per pill. The discount will only be applied to hospitals and will be based upon how much of the drug they actually require.

 

This means that once a patient is out of the hospital, they will have to cover the full $750 per pill.

 

"Martin Shkreli is not pulling the wool over anyone’s eyes," responded Human Rights Committee (HRC) President Chad Griffin. "After increasing the price of Daraprim by 5,000 percent, he now proposes to gouge critically ill people upwards of $375 for a drug that used to cost just a few dollars

 

"His desire to turn a profit at any cost and brazen disregard for the well-being of the most vulnerable patients – including people with HIV and pregnant women – is appalling and contemptible."

 

Yes, Shkreli is still very much a dick. (Is it too early for him to be visited by three ghosts?)

 

Turing To Cut Price Of Drug Daraprim As Much As 50% [Wall Street Journal]

 

Martin Shkreli is planning to cut the price of the drug he hiked by as much as 50% [Business Insider]