A pharmaceutical company suddenly increased the price of one its parasite drugs by more than 5,000 percent this month. The general public including doctors, health advocacy groups and prominent politicians are demanding an explanation for the big jump in price.

The anti-parasite medicine known as Daraprim has been in the market for more than six decades and has been a usual prescription against certain parasites.

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In August, Daraprim was bought by Turing Pharmaceutical. It is unclear why the company has suddenly decided to increase the selling price of the drug from less than $15 to around $750. Turing is a newly set up company founded and headed by Martin Shkreli.

Mount Sinai hospital infectious diseases chief Doctor Judith Aberg said she is wondering what promoted Turing to raise the price of an old medicine. She adds patients, who cannot afford the new costs, may forced them to seek substitutes, which may not be as effective as Daraprim.

Health advocacy have groups sent a written letter to the company condemning the price increase.

Daraprim has the generic designation of pyrimethamine and is usually prescribed against parasites known as toxoplasmosis. People most vulnerable to this kind of parasite include pregnant women and children, as well as those with weaken immune systems and people suffering from certain cancers.

Shkreli has defended the huge price increase saying that Daraprim is not a commonly used medicine and that the extra revenue will be used to lessen the side effects of the drug. He also said that the period for many prescriptions of Daraprim does not last a year.

The Turing CEO started a similar company, Retrophin, four years ago, which he used to buy several drugs and increased their prices astronomically. In August, Shkreli was sued in court, accused by his own company of misappropriating funds.

A few years back, Daraprim only had a retail price of $1. But the drug has became more expensive as the number of users decreases through the years.

Several medical experts have expressed doubts about Turing's claims that it is trying to improve the drug further. The side effects from Daraprim is quite manageable.

Turing's profit from the new retail price is estimated to reach hundreds of millions if the number of prescriptions for the drug remains steady.

Tagsdaraprim, turing pharmaceuticals, martin shkreli, anti-parasite drug, pyrimethamine, toxoplasmosis, AIDS, HIV, retrophin, price gouging