Did you know that Governor Bruce Rauner has something in common with that guy who bought the rights to rare drugs and raised the prices sky-high?
I learned about it from blogger Glenn Brown.
“…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.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Thanks for the post.
Tangentially, the rabid anti-choice (abortion) politicians, could show their commitment to their faith, by signing organ donor registries for premature babies. That simple willingness to sacrifice themselves, similar to their mandates for mothers, would provide proof to the electorate, about the sincerity of their values.
I can’t imagine they would refuse to give their own lives.
As Bernie says, when is enough enough! For the corporatists, the libertarians, the Ayn Randians and the far right wing GOPers, greed is good and there is never enough profit to be made on the backs of ordinary Americans. Meanwhile, in the rest of the industrialized democracies, drug prices are significantly cheaper than in the richest and most powerful country on earth.
Rauner also made a pretty good fortune off of nursing homes. Think charter schools for old folks. What a swell guy!
But it’s important to remember that he’s our governor not because he won so much as because Quinn lost, in large part due to the teacher vote after he declared himself “born to fix [steal] pensions”. That and picking Paul Vallas, of all people, to be his running mate. In a perverse sort of way, I’m proud of my state for not voting for the “lesser” of two evils. People are starting (albeit very slowly) to wake up and realize why we need an alternative to both the Republicans and the Democrats.
Vallas was chosen in part to head of the carpet bombing of reformer cash that would have occurred.
Neoliberalism kills.
Just watched a DVD called “The Corporation”. It gives a nice history of corporations and comes to the conclusions that if corporations are really people, they would be classified as psychopaths.
– Callous unconcern for the feelings of others
– Incapacity to maintain enduring relationships
– Reckless disregard for the safety of others
– Deceitfulness: repeated lying and conning others for profit
– Incapacity to experience guilt
– Failure to conform to social norms with respect to lawful behaviors
It gives examples of people fighting back and winning (Bolivia privatizing water, India being able to reuse seeds etc).
Perfectly understood, and a perfect clarification for Citizens United: If corporations are really people, they would be classified as psychopaths.
I especially liked that this condemnation was coming from Republican circles.
OMG