Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders Find Common Enemy in Drug Exec

Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders have found a convenient enemy in Martin Shkreli, the widely-criticized former hedge fund manager who raised the price of a lifesaving drug, and both the Democratic candidates for president have escalated their attacks on the beleaguered businessman in recent days.

Clinton sent letters to the heads of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Federal Trade Commission asking the agencies to protect consumers from the drug price hike Shkreli engineered at Turing Pharmaceuticals on the medicine Daraprim.

Sanders sent out a fundraising letter to his supporters on Monday, touting his refusal to accept money from Shkreli for his presidential campaign.

For both Democrats, attacking Shkreli is a safe way to drum up support from the Democratic base, and call attention to a contentious public health issue. Shkreli achieved notoriety when he dramatically increased the price of the rare drug Daraprim, largely used by AIDS patients, from $13.50 to over $750 in order to increase profits.

Clinton’s letter to the FDA calls for speedier access to generic versions of Daraprim, urging regulators to expedite reviews of the drug and make them available quickly. In her letter to the FTC, she asked the agency to consider new laws that would reduce Turing’s dominance of the market for Daraprim.

Sanders told supporters in his email that when “prescription drug price gouger Martin Shrkreli tried to donate $2,700 to our campaign,” Sanders “donated his money to an AIDS clinic.”

“I don’t need money from people like Martin Shkreli and the billionaire class,” Sanders told supporters. “I need you.”