AIDS activists ACT UP just did the best protest against pharmaceutical price hikes
ACT UP NYC just did the best demonstration in protest of pharma giant Mylan Pharmaceuticals price hike on its EpiPens.
The activist group, who are well known for their work on legislation, medical research and treatment to affect the lives of those who live with AIDS, stood on the street outside of the offices with a giant EpiPen piñata to protest the 1,100 % increase of cost in the live saving medicine.
The piñata was filled with gold coins to represent the jump in cost of the pen from $50 in 2004 to $600 in 2016. It also signifies CEO Heather Bresch’s raise from $2.5 million to $19 million.
Protestors chanted “Heather Bresch, what do you say? How many kids have you killed today?”
The group also protested at the price hike of the Hepatitis C drug Sovaldi which now costs a hefty $1000 a pill.
Naloxone, a medication used for opioid over doses now costs 17 times more than it did 2 years ago. A seemingly bearable increase when you realise it jumped up 200% between 2002 and 2013.
“Since American taxpayers fund much of the research that goes into creating these medication we can’t then hand it off to pharmaceutical companies to charge exorbitant prices we can’t afford or that bankrupt us. High drug prices reduce accessibility and risk peoples lives.” said Mark Milano, an ACT UP member.
Turing Pharmaceuticals founder Martin Shkreli came under fire last year after buying the rights to the drug Daraprim, which is used to treat conditions including AIDS-related toxoplasmosis, and jacking up the price to $750 a pill.
