The Lown Institute has announced the publication of the seventh edition of its Shkreli Awards, which highlight the most egregious instances of profiteering and dysfunction within the healthcare industry.
According to a press release from the Boston-based healthcare think tank, the awards are named after Martin Shkreli. Shkreli is infamous for acquiring the manufacturing rights to the antiparasitic drug Daraprim and subsequently increasing its price by over 5,000%. The recipients of these awards are chosen by a panel consisting of health policy experts, clinicians, journalists, and patient advocates.
As stated on the Lown Institute's website, the top award was given to "Columbia fails to stop OB-GYN from sexually assaulting patients despite years of complaints". This case involves Robert Hadden, an OB-GYN at Columbia University who sexually assaulted women for several years while the administration failed to take decisive action. Over 245 patients have accused Hadden of abuse. Despite his arrest, Columbia allowed him to return to his job under supervision. In July 2023, Hadden was sentenced to 20 years in prison and Columbia settled two lawsuits with payouts exceeding $235 million.
The Lown Institute website reveals that the second-place award went to "Nonprofit hospital pays CEO stunning salary". The CEO in question is Lloyd Dean, who received $35.5 million in 2021 from CommonSpirit Health - the largest Catholic health system in America. The third-place award was given to "Medicare drug price negotiation tests the constitution of Big Pharma". The Inflation Reduction Act permits Medicare officials to negotiate drug prices which will lower costs for older Americans needing medications for cancer, heart disease and diabetes. It also projects a reduction in federal government expenditure by approximately $100 billion over a decade. However, this act has been met with resistance as pharmaceutical companies and trade organizations have launched nearly a dozen lawsuits claiming it infringes upon their First, Fifth or Eighth Amendment rights.
The Lown Institute's website provides the full list of award recipients, complete with descriptions, sources, and comments from the judges.
