Donald Trump's views on health care are murky, to say the least. While the billionaire businessman once voiced support for a single-payer system mirroring that of Canada, he doesn't say much these days about health care beyond promising to scrap PPACA and replace it with "something terrific."
In addition, he said that the controversial head of a drug company "looks like a spoiled brat."
The comment amounted to Trump's two cents on a recent controversy that erupted over Martin Shkreli, the 32-year-old founder and CEO of Turing Pharmaceutical, suddenly raising the price of a key medication from $13.50 per pill to $750 per pill. After widespread outrage, Shkreli quickly backpedaled, announcing Wednesday that he would lower the price, although he has not yet said by how much.
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"That guy is nothing. He's zero. He's nothing. He ought to be ashamed of himself," Trump told reporters on Wednesday.
A lesson in business ethics from a man who has bragged about using the bankruptcy process to boost his businesses may appear contradictory, but if Trump's improbable rise to the top of the GOP field has proved anything, it's that his supporters don't seem the least bit bothered by his many contradictions.
Shkreli, who comes from the hedge fund world, raised the price of the life-saving drug, Daraprim, a month after purchasing the rights to the medication from Impax Laboratories for $55 million. Daraprim treats parasitic infections, and is often used by AIDS patients.
Trump is far from the only politician whose scorn Shkreli has attracted. Hillary Clinton cited the price increase in a Tuesday call for further health reforms aimed at reducing drug costs.
Shkreli had defended the price increase, saying that the drug was not frequently used and that the company would put money from the increased revenue into developing a superior medication with fewer side-effects. Medical groups, such as the HIV Medicine Association and the Infectious Diseases Society of America, expressed alarm at the increase. Even the Pharmaceutical Researchers and Manufacturers of America, the top drug industry lobbying group, rebuked Turon, which is not a member of the organization, telling Bloomberg that the company did not reflect the values of the group.
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