US FDA approves first generic version of $750 Daraprim drug

Reuters: The US Food and Drug Administration on Friday approved the first generic version of Daraprim, a drug used to treat a disease resulting from a parasitic infection.

Daraprim came under the spotlight after a company once run by ‘pharma bro’ Martin Shkreli bought the rights to the drug and then quickly raised the price from $17.50 per tablet to $750, while also taking steps to ensure there would not be a cheaper generic version of the medicine.  The drug is used to treat toxoplasmosis, a disease that causes flu-like symptoms and occurs usually by eating undercooked contaminated meat.The disease is considered to be the leading cause of death due to food borne illness in the United States, the US health regulator said.