Survey says - 7 years, with credit for six months served, and he has to fork over 7.5 million in assets.
He’s appealing … wait. I’ll rephrase. Shkrelli plans to appeal his sentence. He shed tears during his sentencing statement; the judge handed him a box of tissues.
And this the state of America today: hurt people with a potentially terminal illness, nobody who can do anything about it does jack shit (Daraprim is still $750/pill today); steal from rich people, go to prison for 7 years.
I’m…uncertain that’s a great strategy for getting a favorable sentence from a judge. Perhaps letters of support from non-incarcerees would have been more effective.
As another reminder, daraprim is $0.02 to $0.10 a pill in Brazil and India. And Australia, and Switzerland sell it for about $0.25 a pill while it costs $750 a pill in America.
And it’s illegal for Americans to import drugs from Other countries. 'cause safety. Can’t have those under developed Swiss or Australians selling us bunk medications.
This is why some things just shouldn’t be commercialized.
If we’re in the desert and I’m the only one selling drinkable water for the next 100 miles, and I know you need water, I can charge whatever the hell I want for it (provided I can defend myself of course).
This is how the healthcare system, and in particular Big Pharma, operates. They corrupt capitalism by using patients’ demand for the drug (like they need it to friggin live, essentially) and they compound that by virtue of the fact that they, with the help of congress, control the supply.
This is how oligarchy works, and it’s not just in healthcare but it’s also creeping into other aspects of the American economy – take the housing crisis in cities like Seattle, for instance. You want to stay in this apartment another year? Okay, well I want you to stay, too, but I’m raising your rates from $1000 / month to $2000 – because I can, because the guy down the street has a crappier version of my place and he’s charging $1750 / month, and he’s got waiting lists even. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a city council meeting to attend. They’re proposing building a new apartment complex nearby and I want to be sure my buddies on the Council vote it down so we can jack up the rent even more.
Its more like there are multiple water vendors, but this one is in cahoots with the government so they both agree to make it illegal to buy water from any vendor but this one. Then they jack up the prices to $500 a bottle while all the other vendors sell it for $0.20 a bottle.
