A drug company plans on introducing the first competitor to Daraprim, the parasitic-fighting drug that’s met national controversy for its skyrocketing price tag. The company, Imprimis Pharmaceuticals, says its new drug will be available for only $1 a tablet — a stark difference from Daraprim’s $750.
Daraprim, known generically as pyrimethamine, protects users against toxoplasmosis — a disease that infects people whose immune systems have been compromised by HIV, pregnancy, or chemotherapy.
Shortly after Turing Pharmaceuticals purchased the marketing rights to Daraprim in August, the company raised the dosage price from $13.50 a pill to $750. Turing CEO Martin Shkreli, a former hedge fund manager, became the subject of widespread outrage after the 5500 percent price hike and is now known colloquially as “the pharma bro.” While the backlash did lead Shkreli to agree to lower the price of Daraprim, he has yet to say by how much — or when.
It appears that Imprimis has used this radio silence as a time to introduce another option to the still-fuming public. Since Turing owns pyrimethamine, Imprimis is introducing a compound drug — blending the generic pyrimethamine with leucovorin, a drug used to reverse a parasite’s negative impact on bone marrow — to avoid legal conflict.
The growing spotlight on skyrocketing drug prices has encouraged presidential candidates to speak out against major pharmaceutical companies’ grip on health care.
Last month, Senator Bernie Sanders proposed a bill to boost the government’s ability to keep astronomical drug prices down. This was followed shortly by Hillary Clinton announcing her new plan to put a cap on monthly out-of-pocket costs for prescription drugs.
Members of the GOP have even ranked drug costs above repealing Obamacare in their health care concerns. Most recently, Senator Marco Rubio came out against pharmaceuticals giants, saying that their steep prices are “bankrupting our system.”