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U.S. NEWSThursday 5 November 2015

Senate panel summons price-hiking CEO of Turing Pharma

In this October, 2015, photo, carrying an image of Turing Pharmaceuticals CEO Martin Shkreli in a tion that can affect preg- ing and other policies.
makeshift cat litter pan, AIDS activists and others are asked to leave the lobby of 1177 6th Ave. in nant women and patients Senators Susan Collins,
New York, during a protest highlighting pharmaceutical drug pricing. A Senate committee tasked with HIV. R-Maine, and Claire Mc-
with protecting seniors launched an investigation Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2015, into drug price hikes Turing said in an emailed Caskill, D-Missouri, said a
by Turing, Valeant Pharmaceuticals, Retrophin Inc. and Rodelis Therapeutics, responding to pub- statement: “We are review- hearing on the issue is ten-
lic anxiety over rising prices for critical medicines. ing the committee’s re- tatively scheduled for Dec.
quest and, as we have and 9. Collins chairs the aging
(AP Photo/Craig Ruttle) continue to do with similar committee and McCaskill
congressional inquiries, we is its ranking Democrat.
MATTHEW PERRONE mittee on aging requested ticable.” A former hedge look forward to having an “We need to get to the bot-
AP Health Writer documents and informa- fund manager, Shkreli has open and honest dialogue tom of why we’re seeing
WASHINGTON (AP) — A tion Wednesday from Tur- become the public face about drug pricing.” huge spikes in drug prices
Senate committee has ing, Valeant Pharmaceu- of the pricing controversy, Separately, Democrats in that seemingly have no re-
launched an investigation ticals and two other drug- after his company raised the House of Representa- lationship to research and
into exorbitant drug price makers already under scru- the price of the anti-in- tives called on their Re- development costs,” said
hikes by Turing Pharmaceu- tiny for recent price spikes. fection drug Daraprim by publican colleagues to McCaskill, in a statement.
ticals and three other com- Notably, the senators more than 5,000 percent. summon the Turing and She added that some of
panies, responding to pub- called for a face-to-face The drug, which Turing ac- Valeant CEOs to a con- the increases resemble “lit-
lic anxiety over rising prices meeting with Turing Phar- quired in August, is the only gressional hearing and is- tle more than price goug-
for critical medicines. maceuticals CEO, Martin U.S.-approved treatment sue subpoenas to collect ing.”
The Senate’s special com- Shkreli, “as soon as it is prac- for a deadly parasitic infec- documents from their com- The committee also sent
panies. Both firms have letters to Retrophin Inc.
refused to turn over docu- of San Diego and Rodelis
ments requested by Demo- Therapeutics of Alpharetta,
crats on the House over- Georgia. The lawmakers
sight committee. question Retrophin about
Valeant is already under its decision to raise the
investigation by several price of a kidney drug, Thi-
members of Congress for ola, from $1.50 per tablet to
its general business strat- $30 per tablet. Company
egy, which involves buying shares tumbled roughly 13
smaller drug developers percent in trading Wednes-
and then jacking up the day to $18.90.
prices of their medicines. The letter to Rodelis ques-
Both Turing and Valeant tions the company’s price
have also received mul- increase on a tuberculosis
tiple subpoenas from fed- drug by more than 2,000
eral prosecutors seeking in- percent to $10,800 per bot-
formation about drug pric- tle. q

State Dept. rejects TransCanada request for Keystone delay

MATTHEW DALY but the Democrats running ing that “a lot of interagen- flashpoint in the global de- from North Dakota and
Associated Press for president have said they cy work” has gone into the bate over climate change Canada through Keystone
WASHINGTON (AP) — The oppose it while the Repub- evaluation so far. Secretary — is in the U.S. national in- XL?” Cooper said. “We be-
Obama administration said lican candidates have said of State John Kerry “be- terest. lieve the answer is clear
Wednesday it is continuing they support it. lieves that it’s most appro- Five reports and 17,000 and the choice is Keystone
a review of the proposed State Department spokes- priate to keep the process pages of State Department XL.”
Keystone XL oil pipeline, de- man John Kirby said the in place,” Kirby said. review have shown the The 1,179-mile (1,900 ki-
spite a request by the proj- department advised Trans- Calgary-based TransCana- project’s benefits over the lometer) pipeline would
ect’s Canadian developer Canada on Wednesday of da asked the U.S. on Mon- past seven-plus years, said run from Canada through
to suspend the review. its decision to continue the day to delay consideration TransCanada spokesman Montana, South Dakota
If it had been granted, the review. of the pipeline, the latest Mark Cooper. and Nebraska, where it
delay could have put off The State Department has wrinkle in a seven-year “The fundamental ques- would connect with ex-
a decision on the project jurisdiction over the pipe- quest for the project. tion remains: Do Americans isting pipelines to carry
until the next U.S. presi- line because it crosses aU.S. TransCanada said it re- want to continue to import more than 800,000 barrels
dent takes office in 2017. border. spects the U.S. decision millions of barrels of oil ev- of crude oil a day from tar
President Barack Obama Kirby said there was no le- and will continue its efforts ery day from the Middle sands in western Canada
has yet to say whether he gal requirement for officials to demonstrate that the East and Venezuela or do to refineries along the U.S.
would approve or reject it, to suspend the review, add- long-delayed pipeline — a they want to get their oil Gulf Coast.q