Do you remember what Bruce Rauner has in common with Martin Shkreli?

 

“…Rauner is never going to brag about his spoils derived from Ovation because in 2008 the Federal Trade Commission took the company to federal court, accusing it of price gouging and violating antitrust laws. According to the FTC, Ovation acquired control of the only two drugs used to treat heart defects in premature babies. The company then raised the cost of treatment nearly 1,300 percent. (The Star Tribune reported in 2008 that Ovation also bought three other children’s drugs and raised their prices by 864 to 3,437 percent.)

“Ovation acquired the rights to a drug developed by Merck & Co. called Indocin I.V. Ovation then acquired the drug NeoProfen from Abbott Laboratories about a year later in 2006. The FTC asserted the NeoProfen acquisition was unlawful because Ovation knew it was getting the only competitor to its Indocin I.V. drug.

“The FTC detailed how Ovation quickly raised the price of Indocin from $36 to nearly $500 a vial. The price of NeoProfen was similarly inflated by Ovation. The FTC brought its complaint in U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota in 2008. The Minnesota Attorney General joined the FTC as a plaintiff in the lawsuit. Acting FTC Bureau of Competition Director David P. Wales issued this statement upon announcement of the legal action:

“‘While Ovation is profiting from its illegal acquisition, hospitals and ultimately consumers and American taxpayers are forced to pay millions of dollars a year more for these life-saving medications. The action taken today is intended to restore the lost competition and require Ovation to give up its unlawful profits.’

“The FTC went on to say: ‘Indocin and NeoProfen are the only two pharmaceutical treatments sold in the U.S. for a condition known as patent ductus arteriosus, a disorder that primarily affects very low birth- weight premature infants. In babies with this condition, the blood vessel connecting two major arteries of the heart fails to close on its own soon after birth. Patent ductus arteriosus can be fatal if not treated. The only treatment other than drug therapy is surgery, which carries the risk of serious complications and costs far more than treatment with either Indocin or NeoProfen.’

“The FTC’s Commissioners approved filing of the federal complaint by a vote of 4-0. Most devastating of all is this statement from Commissioner Jon Leibowitz (appointed by George W. Bush) who wrote separately: ‘Ovation’s profiteering on the backs of critically ill premature babies is not only immoral, it is illegal. Ovation’s behavior is a stark reminder of why America desperately needs health care reform and why vigorous antitrust enforcement is as relevant today as it was when the agency was created almost one hundred years ago in 1914.’ And U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn) said: ‘A company like Ovation knows that when it comes to saving a baby’s life, price is no object. They banked on that, literally…’” (Rauner company raised cost of life-saving drug for babies 1,300% by Doug Ibendahl,Oct. 21, 2014).

“…As we’ve said repeatedly here at Republican News Watch, it doesn’t matter how much money Bruce Rauner has made. But it does matter what he was willing to do for it, and it does matter who he expected to subsidize his lifestyle. Rauner and his partners made the decision that it was okay to squeeze parents desperate to save the life of their newborn child. What else is it going to take for those still supporting Bruce Rauner?” (Rauner’s former company settled federal lawsuit over infant heart drug by Doug Ibendahl, Oct. 23,2014). 

 

Doug Ibendahl is a Chicago Attorney and a former General Counsel of the Illinois Republican Party.  

To re-fresh your memory about the drug company profiteer, Martin Shkreli, click here.