Martin Shkreli has been fighting a $64.6 million fine he acquired in 2022 for blocking affordable alternatives to Daraprim, a lifesaving antiparasitic drug. Shockingly, it turns out nobody on the Supreme Court cares to hear about it.
No justices dissented on Monday when the court said it declined to hear an appeal by representatives of the former pharmaceutical executive. In a last-ditch effort, Shkreli’s lawyers asked the Supreme Court to resolve conflicting rulings after the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the $64.6 million order and a lifetime ban to block Shkreli from working in the drug business. Only, the conflicting rulings didn’t even exist, New York Attorney General Letitia James argued in an August brief. The Supreme Court had nothing to add when it snubbed Shkreli.
The so-called “pharma bro” rose to infamy as the chief of Turing Pharmaceuticals — later called Vyera. In 2015, the startup bought exclusive rights to Daraprim and jacked up its price from $13.50 to $750 a pill. At the time, there were no generic alternatives to the toxoplasmosis medication, which is used to treat a rare condition that affects pregnant people, babies, and people with HIV and cancer.
Shkreli, also temporarily the owner of a secret Wu-Tang Clan album, was convicted of securities fraud and sentenced to seven years in prison in a 2017 case unrelated to Daraprim. In a comment to Gizmodo at the time, Shkreli said he planned to “make paper from inside” while serving time. Two years later, the former executive reportedly faced solitary confinement for trying to run a company with a contraband phone.
Shkreli got out of prison in 2022 and promptly announced a Web3-based drug discovery venture called Druglike. His other recent projects include launching a medical chatbot called Dr. Gupta and taking credit for a cryptocurrency named after former President Donald Trump.
Turing filed for bankruptcy and moved to sell the rights to Daraprim in 2023.
Source: Supreme Court Snubs Martin Shkreli’s Last-Ditch Bid to Avoid $64 Million Fine
Robin Edgar
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