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Martin Shkreli Musical To Dramatize The 'Pharma Bro's' Life

Drugman! Fighter of the poorman! Champion of none!

Martin Shkreli's story is that of a cocky executive who raises the price of a drug by 5,400 per cent, then laughs in the face of a world that despises him.

It's a narrative perfectly suited to a musical, if a pair of writers have their way.

Lauren Gundrum and Joel Esher are seeking $6,500 to stage "Martin Shkreli's Game: How Bill Murray Joined the Wu-Tang Clan," The New York Post reported Wednesday.

The musical will focus on Shkreli's purchase of "Once Upon a Time in Shaolin," a $2 million album by rap outfit the Wu-Tang Clan.

Rumours following the purchase said the transaction had a clause that allowed the rap group to work with Bill Murray to steal the album back — reports which were later proven false.

"Shkreli's just such an interesting character," Gundrum told the Post. "Shkreli buying this album is hilarious and so in character."

She and Esher expect to premiere the musical at the Midtown International Film Festival on July 19.

And they already have a name for one of the songs: "I'm Martin F***ing Shkreli and You Can All Go F**k Yourselves."

It goes, in part, "You wonder what I'm worth, the richest damn Albanian to walk the Earth!"

The writers are far more enamoured with the musical than Shkreli is, if his lawyer's statement is anything to go on.

Defense lawyer Benjamin Brafman told CNBC that Shkreli and his counsel "intend to ignore this childish, absurd project."

"We have far more serious issues to address and will not allow ourselves to be distracted."

Shkreli was indicted in December on seven criminal counts after he allegedly used $11 million from Retrophin, a pharmaceutical company he founded, to pay off investors in hedge funds he used to operate, before another count was added Friday.

He has pleaded not guilty to all charges, according to Reuters.

Shkreli's court woes came after he controversially raised the price of Daraprim, a drug used in the treatment of HIV patients, by over 5,400 per cent, from $13.50 to $750 per dose.

Shkreli justified the price increase by saying Daraprim was underpriced, relative to its peers, and that his then-company, Turing Pharmaceuticals, was spending tens of millions of dollars to make it a more effective drug.

He also cut a defiant personality on social media, later admitting he was being a "flippant jackass" in a Reddit AMA.

Here's another song that could work in a Martin Shkreli musical.

Imagine it set to the melody of "Dayman" from "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia."

Fighter of the poorman!

Champion of none!

You're a master of annoyance and rancour for everyone!

Also on HuffPost:

House Oversight Hearing On Prescription Drug Price Increases

Martin Shkreli hearing

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