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Turing Pharmaceuticals says will cut price of drug after accusations of gouging

“As the only supplier of the drug to the USA, Retrophin has increased the price for the drug just because it can”.

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You successfully rallied behind a good cause and helped Martin Shkreli see the error of his ways.

The story sparked outrage among patients, medical societies and Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton, who outlined on Tuesday a proposal to cap skyrocketing prescription drug costs for consumers.

The company’s chief executive, Martin Shkreli, told several national television news networks Tuesday evening that the company would lower the price it charges for the drug, Daraprim.

One of the most hated men in America was poised to lower the cost of his life-saving HIV drug last night but neglected to say by how much.

“Yes, it is absolutely a reaction,” Shkreli told NBC News.

Shkreli has also been defending himself in numerous TV interviews, saying he planned to use the profits to research better treatment that had fewer side effects, as Daraprim has been around for decades.

Turing bought rights to sell the drug, the only US-approved treatment for toxoplasmosis, in August and raised the price overnight from $13.50 (£8.80) to $750 (£489) per pill.

Although initially fiercely defensive of the Daraprim price increase, Shkreli seemingly backed down of his stance.

The Human Rights Campaign, which previously denounced the price increase, sent a letter to New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman asking him to investigate the recent actions of Turing. “We think these changes will be welcomed”. “And I understand the outrage”. Even earlier this week he was refusing to back down on the price for Daraprim. By Monday evening, another pharmaceutical manufacturer that had come under fire for jacking up the price of a tuberculosis medication moved to reverse its own price hike.

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Shkreli said that the previous price of the drug would not have brought a profit to the company and such drugs would also cease to exist if small companies fail to make profit from them.

Daraprim Price Increased to $750 from $13.50 per Tablet by Turing Pharmaceuticals