This is pure capitalism in action, and an important datum about what happens in free markets. [see edit below]<p>Questcor is cornering the market - this has nothing to do with research or availability. In 2012, they acquired the manufacturing of the pig-pituary-gland version of this drug, called &quot;HP Acthar Gel&quot;[0], and hiked the price from $50 to $28,000 per vial. In June 2014, they acquired the synthetic version called &quot;Synacthen Depot&quot; and modestly hiked it by just 2000%. The generic term naming both is ACTH, which is cleverly (?) disguised inside both names.<p>This is greed, plain and simple - now that Questcor owns the market, they can name any price they want, or the infantile spasm kids suffer greatly (die, or suffer developmental problems of all sorts including retardation). There are other diseases treated with ACTH, and dropping treatment due to cost has effects almost as severe.<p>Show me the parent who would let their baby die or become retarded because the price was hiked. That&#x27;s an example of what any completely free market will converge to.<p>[0] <a href="http:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.nytimes.com&#x2F;2012&#x2F;12&#x2F;30&#x2F;business&#x2F;questcor-finds-profit-for-acthar-drug-at-28000-a-vial.html" rel="nofollow">http:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.nytimes.com&#x2F;2012&#x2F;12&#x2F;30&#x2F;business&#x2F;questcor-finds-pr...</a><p>edit: I stand corrected in my use of &quot;pure capitalism&quot; - government regulation makes it very much not pure capitalism. But the monopolizing of production that we see here <i>is</i> a real-world result of capitalism (pure or impure) - the assumption that &quot;if there&#x27;s money to be made, some other entity will rise to the challenge&quot; is not supported by evidence in small markets (such as ACTH). If it weren&#x27;t, there would be no need for antitrust laws.