Best known as the pharmaceutical executive who jacked up the prices of AIDS drug Daraprim, Martin Shkreli has responded to the Sydney Grammar School students who have "recreated" his drug at a fraction of the cost.
Earlier this morning, Shkreli released a video statement on his YouTube channel, addressing the high school students’ recent work. However, in the hours preceding this video, Shkreli's responses on Twitter were not near as measured.
Making a drug is "pretty ez" he said.
He then defended his work as an "innovator" in this impassioned thread with Guardian Australia journalist Melissa Davey.
All in all, Shkreli defended his string of tweets by referring them as a teaching moment for the high schoolers.
Shkreli, a former hedge fund manager entered the pharmaceutical business in 2011.
His company, Turing Pharmaceutical, purchased the drug Daraprim in 2015. At the time, the drug's original patent had lapsed and no generic drug had been manufactured. Turing, under Shkreli's leadership, raising each pill's individual price from $13.50 to $750 each. Shkreli has said the price-hike impacts big corporation and insurance companies, not everyday individuals.
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