Valeant Under Scrutiny For Doubling Price Of Assisted-Dying Drug Sold In U.S.

MONTREAL — Valeant Pharmaceuticals, accused by U.S. politicians of price-gouging, is facing criticism from assisted-dying advocates across North America for doubling the price of a drug commonly used to hasten death soon after California legalized doctor-assisted suicide.

Pharma Bro Emails Reveal Just How Greedy Drug Companies Can Be

"$1bn here we come."

That was the triumphant message sent by then-Turing Pharmaceuticals CEO Martin Shkreli, the infamous "Pharma Bro" who jacked up the price of a life-saving drug by 5,000 percent last year, when it became clear his firm could acquire the rights to the medicine. The email went to Turing's presumably pleased board of directors last May.

Mark Zuckerberg Made A LOT Of Money During His Paternity Leave

Mark Zuckerberg did pretty well for himself while he was out on his paternity leave.

The Facebook founder and chief executive just got back from leave, which he spent cozied up with his brand-new baby girl, Max. He shared many deliciously cute photos during that time.

Apparently, Facebook did just fine while its leader was away. On Wednesday, the social network announced that its revenue had grown by an astonishing 52 percent over the three-month period ending Dec. 31 -- profits for that quarter were more than $1 BILLION. Zuckerberg was out on leave for about one-third of that time.

Canada Gas Prices vs. Oil Prices Show That Drivers Are Getting Screwed

Gas prices are giving Canadians very little relief from a rocky economy, says a recent report from the Bank of Canada.

The central bank's Monetary Policy Report contains a chart showing that Canadian gas prices remain relatively high compared to the falling price of oil.

Canadians not getting full benefit of falling crude prices

Prices at the gas pump fell 4 per cent in December, but crude prices fell by more than three times that amount during that time.

Gasoline prices in Canada averaged $1.02 per litre last month, when crude averaged $37 a barrel (U.S.). But in February 2009, when oil sold for $39, the average price for gas was about 15 per cent cheaper at 85 cents a litre.

Ontario Electricity Rates Climbing Steadily

Electricity rates for many Ontario consumers went up yet again on Sunday, bumping the cost of a kilowatt hour this winter by between 0.3 and 1.4 cents, depending on the time of day.

The rate hike applies to most households and small businesses, and is the latest in a series of increases that have made the cost of hydro a contentious issue for many Ontarians.

Americans Pay More For Drugs Than Anyone In The World

LONDON (Reuters) - U.S. prices for the world's 20 top-selling medicines are, on average, three times higher than in Britain, according to an analysis carried out for Reuters.

The finding underscores a transatlantic gulf between the price of treatments for a range of diseases and follows demands for lower drug costs in America from industry critics such as Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.

Another Big Pharma Company Forces Patients to Pay Sky-High Drug Prices

Another drug company has joined the likes of the recently exposed Turing Pharmaceuticals by jacking up prices of life-sustaining meds on extremely short notice. Remember this name: Valeant Pharmaceuticals International.

The 9 Most Expensive Medicines in the World—Courtesy of Big Pharma

Hedge funder Martin Shkreli reminded everyone of the sky-high—and seemingly arbitrary—costs of prescription medicines in this country when he bought and immediately increased the price of an established drug used to fight a parasitic infection. The price hike was eye-popping, from $13.50 a pill to $750 per pill, prompting Dr. Judith Aberg of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai to ask, “What is it that they are doing differently that has led to this dramatic increase?” Shkreli’s answer was similar to what Big Pharma trots out all the time—the extra money will help them to make better drugs. Besides, he noted, not many people get the parasitic infection that the now-$750 drug treats. (Small consolation, one imagines, to the unfortunates who actually have it.)

Waiting for the elephant to be mentioned in the 2015 election

"We're paying [gas] prices similar to when oil was $100," Bruce Cran of the Consumers Association of Canada toldGlobal News reporter Jamie Sturgeon in August, just as the election got underway.

Motorists know major oil companies keep profits high by rigging prices they pay to fill up. When the oil price falls, profits are registered in gas sales instead of at the wellhead.

Why not keep prices at the pump high? Big Oil controls the production of petroleum, the sale of gasoline, and everything in between. Who is to stop them from abusing their power?

Canadian commuters looking for a break can look to government. An investigation into price fixing by the oil majors would be warmly welcomed by Canadians who drive cars, a significant number of voters.

Truthdiggers of the Week: All Those Who Piled on Martin Shkreli

When Martin Shkreli, a 32-year-old pharmaceutical CEO, raised the price of a 62-year-old drug acquired by his company from $13.50 to $750 per tablet, the medical industry and the public exploded in outrage.

The former hedge fund manager’s decision threatened to increase the annual cost of treatment for rare, life-threatening parasitic infections sometimes contracted by AIDS and cancer patients to, in some instances, hundreds of thousands of dollars, a change that would drive most patients into deep debt and even bankruptcy.

Why is NRCan's fuel price report suspended during election?

They strive for facelessness, but for seekers of impartial facts, the people who make up Canada's professional public service comprise a national treasure.

Ultimately, serious research at some point usually leads to their door.

Anyone who knows where to look knows that the government's thousands of experts regularly produce data vital to understanding our economy and governance, and that they try, at least, to do it without fear or favour.

Rock Band Won't Rock Because Hedge Fund Pill Guy Bankrolled Label

WASHINGTON -- Martin Shkreli has said he will lower the price of a drug used mainly by AIDS and cancer patients following outrage over his pharmaceutical company jacking the pill's price up 5,000 percent this week.

But a mere price reduction isn't good enough for Nothing, a Philadelphia-based rock band that has a two-album contract with a label that happens to be bankrolled by Shkreli. For Nothing, it's an odious association. It does not rock.

‘Pharma Bro’ Financially Supports Several Punk Bands, And They Hate Him Now

Martin Shkreli, the pharmaceutical CEO known as the ‘most hated man in America’ or the ‘pharma bro’ for raising the price of Daraprim, a drug used to treat infections in AIDS patients and infants, by 5000 percent, is in more hot water. This time, it’s with the punk musicians he financially supports.

Bands on the independent label Collect Records have confirmed that Shkreli funds the label, and they aren’t happy about the association. Geoff Rickly, who fronted influential bands Thursday and United Nations, and now runs Collect, called the revelation of Shkreli’s actions “totally and completely heartbreaking” and said “I can’t see my future at all in the label.”

Martin Shkreli: Pharmaceuticals CEO who raised HIV drug price by 5,000% 'also hiked cost of pill taken by children with incurable kidney disease'

The pharmaceuticals CEO that raised the cost of a drug used by Aids sufferers by more than 5,000 per cent also hiked the price of medication taken by children for a rare kidney disease, it has emerged.

Martin Shkreli is currently the chief executive of Turing Pharmaceuticals, which has been internationally condemned for its use of Daraprim, which is the only US-approved treatment for toxoplasmosis.

Turing Will Roll Back Massive Drug Price Hike After Backlash

Turing Pharmaceuticals CEO Martin Shkreli said Tuesday he would roll back the massive price increase for lifesaving drug Daraprim after a fierce public backlash that included presidential candidates.

Shkreli, who is part of a criminal investigation involving another company he founded, told NBC News he'll lower the price of the toxoplasmosis-treating drug, which he jacked up overnight from $13.50 per pill to $750 after buying exclusive marketing rights in August. He didn't say how much he'd cut the cost, though he admitted that he made the decision after the drubbing he got from the public.

Drug-Price Gouging Hedge Fund Guy May Be Even Worse Than You Thought, SEC Documents Show

Martin Shkreli, the pharmaceutical executive who jacked up the price of a drug mainly used by cancer and HIV-AIDS patients by about 8 gazillion percent, is part of a criminal investigation involving a company he founded, according to documents on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A federal prosecutor this year subpoenaed Retrophin Inc., looking for information on the company's dealings with Shkreli, who founded the biotechnology company in 2011 and ran it until he was fired last year. Shkreli, 32, currently is CEO of Turing Pharmaceuticals.

Pharma Company Forced To Backtrack After Suddenly Raising Drug’s Price 20-Fold

Amid outrage about sudden price hikes of specialty drugs, a company has reneged on its recent acquisition of a tuberculosis medication, a deal that would have increased the cost of the treatment more than 20-fold. Just three weeks after purchasing the rights to the drug, Rodelis Therapeutics has agreed to return the medication to the nonprofit that previously owned it.

The medicine, named Cycloserine, treats a form of tuberculosis that’s resistant to multiple drugs usually used to treat it — in other words, a serious form of the ailment. There are nearly 90 cases of drug-resistant tuberculosis annually in the United States.

What You Need To Know About Hillary Clinton's Plan For Soaring Drug Prices

WASHINGTON -- Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton will outline a set of policies Tuesday she says will help make prescription drugs more affordable as escalating prices cause rising anxiety among American consumers.

Clinton's plan, a summary of which her campaign provided to reporters Monday evening, mostly represents steps long advocated by Democrats, including giving Medicare the authority to negotiate bulk discounts from pharmaceutical companies. Drug prices and overall national spending on prescriptions have risen in recent years, and a poll last month showed more than 70 percent of Americans think these medicines are too costly.