This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Trenton, N.J. • After weeks of criticism from patients, doctors and even other drugmakers for hiking a life-saving medicine's price more than fifty-fold, Turing Pharmaceuticals is reneging on its pledge to cut the $750-per-pill price.
Instead, the small biotech company says it's reducing the price for hospitals by up to 50 percent for its Daraprim, which treats a rare parasitic infection that mainly strikes pregnant women and HIV patients.
The 62-year-old drug had no competition until a furor over the gigantic price hike erupted, triggering multiple government investigations.
Then a pharmacy that compounds prescription drugs for individual patients stepped in and started selling a capsule version for 99 cents.
Imprimis Pharmaceuticals says orders are pouring in from doctors and it says it has dispensed more than 2,500 capsules in barely a month.