NEW YORK: HRC Demands That AG Eric Schneiderman Investigate Price-Gouging Pharma CEO

Today the Human Rights Campaign sent a letter to New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman [photo] in which they call for an investigation of price-gouging by pharma CEO Martin Shkreli.  HRC head Chad Griffin writes:

Daraprim is a lifesaving treatment for toxoplasmosis, a parasitic infection impacting patients with compromised immune systems including those who are pregnant or living with HIV. Medical organizations have estimated that this predatory move could increase the average cost per year for an adult patient reliant on the drug to more than $630,000. The burden of this extra cost will undoubtedly be shouldered by the most vulnerable members of our community. This price increase is wholly unjustified and unprecedented. We urge your office to conduct a thorough investigation of Turing Pharmaceuticals’ irresponsible and shameless price increase and assess whether these dubious actions violate New York state law. We also urge you to take all steps within your power to hold Turing Pharmaceuticals accountable and communicate to all companies doing business in New York that making such drastic changes on the backs of those most vulnerable is not welcome in the Empire State.

Schneiderman is definitely to right person to turn to as he regularly goes after corporations for fraudulent or predatory practices. Yesterday Shkreli said that he would reduce the cost of the drug, but he refused to say by how much.