13 February 2017 - A drug to treat muscular dystrophy will hit the US market with a price tag of $US89,000 ($116,000) a year despite being available for decades in Europe at a fraction of that cost.

Marathon Pharmaceuticals’ pricing of the drug, which has been available in Europe, is the latest example of a business model that has drawn ire from doctors, patients and legislators in recent years: cheaply acquiring older drugs and then drastically raising their prices.

The practice has prompted congressional investigations and hearings into companies including Valeant Pharmaceuticals International and Turing Pharmaceuticals, the firm formerly run by one-time hedge-fund manager Martin Shkreli.

Read The Australian article