you’re able to lead a drug company to public shame , but you ca n’t make it feel compunction .
On Wednesday , Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals agreed to pay a $ 100 million fine over anticompetitive practices related to Acthar gel , a lifesaving medicament for epileptic infants that has inflate in price from $ 40 a vial to an outrageous $ 34,000 a ampoule since 2001 .
Infantile spasms is a rare , sometimes fatal , form of epilepsy that typically strike baby before their first birthday . According to prosecuting attorney , the society was capable to monopolize treatment of the illness with Acthar by grease one’s palms ( and after ignore ) rights to its only major challenger , a synthetic version called Synacthen that sold for a fraction of the price in Europe and Canada .
Under the footing of its settlement with the Federal Trade Commission , Mallinckrodt will licence right field to Synacthen to another drug maker for developing in the United States , but will accommodate to no wrongdoing — a fact the companyemphasized in a press releaseon Wednesday .
“ [ W]e continue to strongly disagree with allegations draft in the FTC ’s ailment , ” said Mallinckrodt spokesperson , “ believing that fundamental claims are unsupported and even contradicted by scientific data point and market facts , and seem to be discrepant with the views of the FDA . ”
Inthe 2012 New York Times storythat first publicized Acthar ’s rise costs , the former chief executive officer of Mallinckrodt subsidiary Questcor likewise defended the companionship ’s apparent price - gouging .
“ We could lower the price and make less money , ” Don M. Bailey say the Times , “ and then we would be sued by our shareholders . ”
[ CNN ]
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