Ex-pharma CEO Martin Shkreli to speak at Harvard

BUSINESS

Ex-pharma CEO Martin Shkreli to speak at Harvard

The Associated Press Published Monday, February 13, 2017 1:24AM EST

Martin Shkreli speaks on Capitol Hill in Washington during the House Committee on Oversight and Reform Committee hearing on a decision by his former company, Turing Pharmaceuticals, to significantly raise the price of the anti-parasitic medication Daraprim on Feb. 4, 2016. (AP / Susan Walsh)

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CAMBRIDGE, Mass. -- Controversial former pharmaceutical executive Martin Shkreli is set to speak at Harvard while out on bail awaiting his federal securities fraud trial.

The former CEO of Turing Pharmaceuticals is expected to talk about investing and health care at an event organized by the Harvard Financial Analysts Club. The talk on Wednesday is open to the Harvard community only.

Shkreli drew sharp criticism after his company purchased the rights to a drug used by AIDS and cancer patients to fight parasitic infections and raised its price from less than $17 to $750 per pill.

The 33-year-old New York resident is free on $5 million bail pending his federal securities fraud trial in an unrelated case. He has pleaded not guilty. A judge on Thursday approved his request to travel to Massachusetts.