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Pharma Price Gouger (Martin Shkreli) Jailed


Spy Car
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So this miserable excuse for a human being (who jacked up the price of a life-saving drug from $13.50 to $750 each) was jailed today on securities fraud charges.

 

Not often that I'm happy to see someone headed to jail. This time is an exception.

 

Bill

 

Edited by Spy Car
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I was glad to hear this today as well. I am not at all surprised that someone who is fine with price gouging seems to also be fine with committing fraud. I would think that the judge would set bail at his hearing, but require he surrender his passport (if he has one). I hope justice moves swiftly. 

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I was glad to hear this today as well. I am not at all surprised that someone who is fine with price gouging seems to also be fine with committing fraud. I would think that the judge would set bail at his hearing, but require he surrender his passport (if he has one). I hope justice moves swiftly.

Except that one practice is completely legal and, arguably, a service to his shareholders, but the other is fraud. Other than that ever so slight distinction, of course, they are exactly the same.

 

Pharma is not in business to help people; they are not charities. Should he have jacked up the price so much that he brought such attention to himself? Perhaps not, but what he did was not illegal. His actions also may serve as a warming to consumers (insurers, the medical community) and competitors about the dangers of getting too comfortable and reliant upon a single treatment plan.

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Except that one practice is completely legal and, arguably, a service to his shareholders, but the other is fraud. Other than that ever so slight distinction, of course, they are exactly the same.

 

Pharma is not in business to help people; they are not charities. Should he have jacked up the price so much that he brought such attention to himself? Perhaps not, but what he did was not illegal. His actions also may serve as a warming to consumers (insurers, the medical community) and competitors about the dangers of getting too comfortable and reliant upon a single treatment plan.

 

Something can be immoral without being illegal.

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So this miserable excuse for a human being (who jacked up the price of a life-saving drug from $13.50 to $750 each) was jailed today on securities fraud charges.

 

Not often that I'm happy to see someone headed to jail. This time is an exception.

 

Bill

 

Yes, this particular dish of Schadenfreude is extra tasty.

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Except that one practice is completely legal and, arguably, a service to his shareholders, but the other is fraud. Other than that ever so slight distinction, of course, they are exactly the same.

 

Pharma is not in business to help people; they are not charities. Should he have jacked up the price so much that he brought such attention to himself? Perhaps not, but what he did was not illegal. His actions also may serve as a warming to consumers (insurers, the medical community) and competitors about the dangers of getting too comfortable and reliant upon a single treatment plan.

Yes, but legal and ethical are two different concepts. To one who thinks the law should be followed, those who do not follow it are unethical. However, one who follows the law is not necessarily ethical. For example, it wasn't illegal to own slaves. However, it was unethical. One can follow fhe letter of the law, in this case, raise the price of the medication in order to maximize profits, but that doesn't mean it was ethical for the drug to be financially beyond the reach of the people who need it.

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The judge "approved his release" on a $5 million bond.

http://money.cnn.com/2015/12/17/news/companies/martin-shkreli-arrest-reports/index.html

 

ETA: Does this mean he is out because he came up with the $5 million, or does it mean he can get out if he can fork over the $5 million? How do bonds work? Are they different than bail?

Edited by TechWife
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