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Heather Bresch

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Heather Bresch is Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Mylan, Inc., a Pittsburgh-based pharmaceutical corporation that describes itself as the third largest generic pharmaceutical company in the world. She has been active in attempts to prevent brand-name pharmaceuticals from delaying the release of generic drugs and appeared before a special United States Senate committee on the issue in 2006.

Bresch, the daughter of West Virginia governor Joe Manchin, was a graduate student at West Virginia University until 1998. In 2007, the university awarded her an M.B.A. despite her having completed only 22 of the required 48 credits. Following release of a report commissioned by the university (and written by a panel of faculty members from WVU and other universities), the university announced in April 2008 that it would rescind Bresch's degree, and WVU's provost announced his resignation.

The university initially stated that it had awarded the degree after correcting a "records error." Bresch claimed in April 2008 that she had arranged with the WVU Business School to have her "work experience" substitute for the outstanding coursework - a claim reportedly denied by the then-head of the business school and rejected by the panel.

According to the New York Times, Bresch said in a statement that she "continues to believe she did what was required to earn her degree."

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette characterized the panel's report as criticising the university administration for having made "a 'seriously flawed' decision fraught with favoritism" in awarding Bresch the degree; WVU President Michael Garrison is "a family friend and former business associate of Bresch" and a former consultant and lobbyist for Mylan.

References

  1. Mylan Inc. home page
  2. "Mylan Calls for End to Abusive Practices That Delay Access to Affordable Pharmaceuticals", PR Newswire, 20 July 2006, accessed 2008-04-24
  3. "Mylan testifies before Senate special committee on aging", Observer-Reporter (Washington, PA), 21 July 2006, accessed on 2008-04-24
  4. ^ Len Boselovic and Patricia Sabatini, "University revokes degree after scathing report on M.B.A. awarded to Bresch", Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 24 April 2008, accessed 2008-04-24
  5. "Provost Quits Over Degree to Governor’s Child", New York Times, 28 April 2008, accessed 2008-04-28
  6. Jake Stump, "Official says controversy of Heather Bresch's WVU degree calls for investigation," Charleston Daily Mail, 28 December 2007, accessed 2008-04-24
  7. "Mylan Chairman Defends COO", CNN Money, 10 April 2008, retrieved 2008-04-24
  8. Ian Urbina, "Criticism for Degree to Governor’s Daughter", New York Times, 25 April 2008, accessed 2008-04-25
  9. Ian Urbina, "University Investigates Whether Governor’s Daughter Earned Degree", New York Times, 22 January 2008, accessed 2008-04-24
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