• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Jeff Bezos wants the bottom half of earners to pay zero income tax—he says nurses making just $75K should save $12K a year

2

Despite a $500 million net worth, Shaq just finished his fourth degree. He warns graduates: 'Your character will take you further than your resume'

3

Bolt CEO says he let go of his entire HR team for creating problems that didn’t exist: ‘Those problems disappeared when I let them go’ 

1

Jeff Bezos wants the bottom half of earners to pay zero income tax—he says nurses making just $75K should save $12K a year

2

Despite a $500 million net worth, Shaq just finished his fourth degree. He warns graduates: 'Your character will take you further than your resume'

3

Bolt CEO says he let go of his entire HR team for creating problems that didn’t exist: ‘Those problems disappeared when I let them go’ 
FinanceKyle Bass

Why drug price controversy is great news for this hedge fund manager

By
Jen Wieczner
Jen Wieczner
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Jen Wieczner
Jen Wieczner
Down Arrow Button Icon
September 30, 2015, 12:07 PM ET

Before there was Martin Shkreli, the hedge fund short-seller turned biotech CEO who last week set off a political firestorm with a 5,000% drug price increase, there was Kyle Bass. Also a hedge fund manager, and best known for successfully shorting subprime mortgages before the housing market collapsed, Bass has effectively been on the other side of Shkreli’s bet, investing big money in an apparent attempt to reduce drug prices charged by certain companies. And with pharmaceutical stock prices tumbling in recent weeks, Bass’s side may be starting to pay off.

Under an organization he formed called the Coalition for Affordable Drugs, Bass and his firm Hayman Capital Management (with $2 billion in assets under management) have lately filed dozens of challenges to drug patents held by a number of biopharmaceutical companies, all the while shorting those drugmakers’ stocks. Bass has insisted that the investments aren’t just about making money, but about invalidating patents that keep drug prices “sky high.” In April, he told a Congressional committee that he intends to “police the abusive patent tactics used by the worst offending drug companies” that are “harming Americans suffering from illnesses.”

Since February, Bass’s Coalition for Affordable Drugs has petitioned against patents owned by Celgene (CELG), Biogen (BIIB), Acorda Therapeutics (ACOR), Jazz Pharmaceuticals (JAZZ), NPS Pharmaceuticals (acquired by Shire), Anacor Pharmaceuticals (ANAC) and others.

Until recently, Bass’s biotech shorts didn’t seem to be playing out so well; though the stocks’ prices often dipped on the news of his challenges, they quickly recovered—especially after the first of his petitions were denied by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office over the last few weeks.

Bass’s luck, however, took a turn for the better the other day, after outrage over Turing Pharmaceutical CEO Shkreli’s price move took over the headlines. The increase riled up politicians from Hillary Clinton to Donald Trump, who strongly denounced the move, spooking investors that greater drug price regulation was coming. Biotech stocks fell into a bear market last week, with the Nasdaq Biotechnology Index now down more than 24% from its July peak.

 

A spokesperson for Hayman Capital did not respond to requests for comment, and it wasn’t possible to determine precisely how Bass’s portfolio has performed recently. But stocks in Bass’s short book have clearly suffered, presumably to the hedge fund manager’s gain (even if his patent challenges didn’t precipitate their downfall). The biggest contributors to the biotech index’s decline are Celgene and Biogen, which have fallen 20% and 29%, respectively over the same bearish period. Jazz shares have fallen nearly 28%, while shares of Acorda, Anacor and Shire have each declined at least 20%. Bass also scored another victory this week when patent regulators ruled that his strategy of challenging drug patents for his own monetary gain was itself valid, rejecting a challenge from Celgene. “Profit is at the heart of nearly every patent,” the officials said in their decision.

Meanwhile, according to his firm’s latest holdings disclosure, Bass has long positions in certain other drug companies, with his largest stakes in Perrigo (PRGO) and Mylan (MYL), which both make generic, cheaper versions of branded drugs. He also owns smaller stakes in Pfizer [fortune stock symbol=”PFE”], Regeneron (REGN), Vertex Pharmaceuticals (VRTX) and Valeant Pharmaceuticals (VRX). As Bass explained to The Wall Street Journal, “We invest in companies that we think have strong intellectual property and we invest against companies we think have weak intellectual property.”

Still, even Perrigo and Mylan—unlikely targets of pharma price regulation, as their generics are generally credited with keeping drug prices lower—have not been immune to the biopharma selloff. Perrigo shares have fallen more than 16% since the stock showed up in Bass’s portfolio at the end of June, while Mylan’s shares are down 41%. Those declines, however, have more to do with Mylan’s involvement in hostile takeover battles, including its ongoing pursuit of Perrigo.

Ironically, some of Bass’s bullish biopharma picks have also been implicated in the fallout over high drug prices. Valeant’s shares fell 16.5% on Monday after lawmakers pressed for answers on why it has raised the price of drugs, and the stock is down 26% over the last quarter since Bass has owned it.

For more about the ongoing debate over Daraprim, see this Fortune video:

[fortune-brightcove videoid=4509508204001]

 

About the Author
By Jen Wieczner
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Finance

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Finance

Beyond the diploma: Skills that actually get graduates hired
Future of WorkWorkplace Innovation Summit
Beyond the diploma: Skills that actually get graduates hired
By Ashley LutzMay 22, 2026
50 minutes ago
Sam Altman standing in a lift.
AIOpenAI
The big questions looming over OpenAI’s trillion-dollar IPO
By Beatrice NolanMay 22, 2026
1 hour ago
Walmart shoppers are filling their gas tanks with less than 10 gallons for the first time since 2022, and its CFO calls it ‘an indication of stress’
EconomyRetail
Walmart shoppers are filling their gas tanks with less than 10 gallons for the first time since 2022, and its CFO calls it ‘an indication of stress’
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezMay 22, 2026
2 hours ago
Musk may already be a trillionaire while these SpaceX employees and investors will hit multibillion-dollar jackpots after blockbuster IPO
Startups & VentureSpaceX
Musk may already be a trillionaire while these SpaceX employees and investors will hit multibillion-dollar jackpots after blockbuster IPO
By Jason MaMay 22, 2026
2 hours ago
ta
EconomySocial Media
They created AI nudes that got millions of views online. Now they’re being charged with crimes
By Jake Offenhartz and The Associated PressMay 22, 2026
3 hours ago
Best private student loans in May 2026
Personal FinanceLoans
Best private student loans in May 2026
By Joseph HostetlerMay 22, 2026
3 hours ago

Most Popular

Jeff Bezos wants the bottom half of earners to pay zero income tax—he says nurses making just $75K should save $12K a year
Success
Jeff Bezos wants the bottom half of earners to pay zero income tax—he says nurses making just $75K should save $12K a year
By Preston ForeMay 21, 2026
1 day ago
Despite a $500 million net worth, Shaq just finished his fourth degree. He warns graduates: 'Your character will take you further than your resume'
Success
Despite a $500 million net worth, Shaq just finished his fourth degree. He warns graduates: 'Your character will take you further than your resume'
By Preston ForeMay 20, 2026
2 days ago
Bolt CEO says he let go of his entire HR team for creating problems that didn’t exist: ‘Those problems disappeared when I let them go’ 
Workplace Culture
Bolt CEO says he let go of his entire HR team for creating problems that didn’t exist: ‘Those problems disappeared when I let them go’ 
By Preston ForeMay 19, 2026
3 days ago
Pay transparency is exposing a bigger problem: Most companies can't explain why they pay what they pay
Workplace Culture
Pay transparency is exposing a bigger problem: Most companies can't explain why they pay what they pay
By Sydney LakeMay 20, 2026
2 days ago
Current price of oil as of May 21, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of May 21, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerMay 21, 2026
1 day ago
McKinsey partner says up to 50% of work hours could be transformed within the next 5 years
AI
McKinsey partner says up to 50% of work hours could be transformed within the next 5 years
By Emma BurleighMay 21, 2026
1 day ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.