Martin Shkreli believes he could be a valuable asset in the race to cure coronavirus, and requests a temporary release from prison to aid the cause.
With the coronavirus showing no signs of slowing down, the entire medical community has been mobilizing to best combat the spread and fallout. Seeing as the stakes have never been higher, it would appear that humanity needs all hands on deck for this particular fight. At least, that's the line of reasoning that the infamous Martin Shkreli is banking on, claiming he's of no use sitting in a cell when he might very well be able to help find a cure for COVID-19.
Drew Angerer/Getty Images
Currently in the midst of a seven-year bid on charges of fraud, the man once known as the Pharma-Bro, who briefly dabbled in the collection of , reportedly pleaded to be released from prison to help join the fight against coronavirus. Sharing a lengthy paper on his Prosperous Pharma webpage, Shkreli deemed himself to be "one of the few executives experienced in ALL aspects of drug development," qualities he believes make him a valuable asset.
“I am asking for a brief furlough (3 months) to assist in research work on COVID-19,” he writes in the paper. “Being released to the post-COVID world is no solace to even the incarcerated.” Shkreli's claim appears to be fully endorsed by his defense attorney, who tells the NY Post that "left to his own devices, I believe Martin could cure cancer. Feel the same about coronavirus. Warehousing this genius instead of letting him help with the research, makes no sense whatsoever.”
One has to wonder if Martin Shkreli could indeed contribute to efforts in finding a coronavirus cure, and if so, how might that settle with the population at large. Should he indeed prove to be an asset, perhaps they oughta consider all options. What do you think -- is it free Pharma Bro?