In Debate, Carson Refuses to Take on Drug Company That Puts HIV Patients at Risk

WASHINGTON - October 29, 2015 – Today, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation's largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) civil rights organization, issued the following statement after Ben Carson was asked in the debate last night and refused to say they would take action against companies like Turing Pharmaceuticals for outrageous and fundamentally unacceptable price increases. Turing's CEO Martin Shkreli is infamous for recently raising the price of Daraprim -- a crucial and often lifesaving treatment  by 5,000 percent.

"It's shocking and bad enough that the greedy price gouging from Turing is jeopardizing the health of women, children, infants, and people living with HIV," said JoDee Winterhof, Senior Vice President of Policy and Political Affairs for the Human Rights Campaign. "It's appalling that when given a chance, Ben Carson refused to say what everyone knows -- that Turing needs to reverse the arbitrary and unconscionable 5,000 percent price increase of a lifesaving treatment for people living with HIV."

Last week, HRC joined 151 other organizations from across the nation in signing an open letter to Turing Pharmaceuticals urging company CEO Martin Shkreli to immediately act on his promise to lower the price on Daraprim.

Prior to that, at HRC's urging, New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman began investigating whether Turing Pharmaceuticals may have violated antitrust laws by limiting distribution of a drug that is essential to the lives of medically vulnerable people.

HRC has also sent letters to Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN), Chair of the Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions; Rep. Fred Upton (R-MI), Chair of the Committee on Energy and Commerce; and Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-UT), Chair of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, seeking an investigation into the actions of Turing Pharmaceuticals, which increased the price of Daraprim overnight from $13.50 to $750 per tablet.

The letters also called for an inquiry into Turing's acquisition of Daraprim, the pricing strategy for the drug, investments made to bring the drug to market, the impact of that strategy on patient access, and the increased cost to federally-funded health programs. And they requested a hearing on formulary and tiering structure for prescription medications offered through health exchanges.

The Human Rights Campaign is America's largest civil rights organization working to achieve lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender equality. By inspiring and engaging all Americans, HRC strives to end discrimination against LGBT citizens and realize a nation that achieves fundamental fairness and equality for all.