Sydney high school students show up ‘Pharma Bro’

After the “most hated man in America” hiked up the price of Daraprim by 5000% last year, these Australian students have made it in their school lab for about $2 a dose

Sydney Grammar students, under the supervision of the University of Sydney and global members of the Open Source Malaria consortium, have reproduced Daraprim in their high school laboratories.

Daraprim is the trade name for pyrimethamine, a widely used anti-parasitic treatment for toxoplasmosis and malaria.

The drug was the subject of controversy last year when the price was hiked from US$13.50 to US$750 a dose; in September 2015, Turing Pharmaceuticals acquired the market rights to Daraprim and raised the price of a dose more than 5000% overnight.

CEO at the time, Martin Shkreli, refused to lower the price despite widespread criticism including from US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

To highlight the inequity of pharmaceutical access and affordability, the Sydney high school students have been working with the Open Source Malaria consortium to make Daraprim in the laboratory using inexpensive starting materials, as part of the Breaking good – Open Source Malaria Schools and Undergraduate Program.

Scientists across the world were able to mentor the students to accelerate the science under coordination from The University of Sydney’s Dr Alice Williamson and Associate Professor Matthew Todd.

Shkreli has responded to the story with a video as well as in several tweets.

“I’m delighted to hear about more and more students entering the STEM field,” he said in a video statement.

“These Australian students are proof that the 21^st century will solve problems of human suffering through science and technology.

“Scientists are hard at work replacing Daraprim with a more effective solution which could be taken prophylactically and far safer than the current options. Medical scientists brought tremendous advances in cancer, mental health, autoimmune disorders and many others. Technology has lowered the cost of a myriad of goods and services dramatically.

“We should congratulate these students for their interest in chemistry, and all be excited about what is to come in this STEM-focused 21^st century,” said Shkreli.

However on his Twitter account he added some further comments.

These kids who ‘made Daraprim’ reminds me of Ahmed who ‘made the clock’. Dumb journalists want a feel good story.

— Martin Shkreli (@MartinShkreli) 1 December 2016

i’m a grown ass man & want to introduce these kids to the concept that average ANDA takes 5 years & costs $5m. so they have $4,999,980 to go https://t.co/vUsV6DxFVB

— Martin Shkreli (@MartinShkreli) 1 December 2016

And never, ever compare your cook game to mine. Highest yield, best purity, most scale. I have the synthesis game on lock.

— Martin Shkreli (@MartinShkreli) 1 December 2016