washington/new york activist investor william ackman promise u.s. lawmakers wednesday urge board valeant pharmaceuticals vrx.to reduce high price four life-saving drug heart two congressional probe speak senate special committee age ackman reveal valeant board hold conference call thursday discuss cost heart medications isuprel nitropress well cuprimine syprine two drug use treat genetic disorder cause copper build body organs valeant raise price isuprel 720 percent nitropress 310 percent acquire 2015. two raise 5,878 percent 3,162 percent respectively recommendation go reduce price ackman testify senate special committee age one two u.s. congressional panel investigate sky-rocketing price increase certain decades-old drug acquire company include valeant turing pharmaceuticals company found martin shkreli ackman major valeant shareholder appear wednesday alongside company outgo chief executive michael pearson howard schiller board member former chief financial officer ackman join board last month valeant face mount scrutiny members congress prosecutors regulators drug price business practice account issue cause share price plummet almost 90 percent since august valeant 30 billion debt negotiate creditors issue notice default miss deadline file financial result ackman say wednesday one top priorities protect company bankruptcy late response question reuters express confidence company recover go bankruptcy valeant say death spiral take step deal bank go file 10k time bring new ceo pearson ackman schiller tell lawmakers wednesday regret valeant price decisions company aggressive leader aggressive pursue price increase certain drug say many lawmakers panel appear skeptical question valeant business model invest little research development company practice acquire decades-old drug raise price senator claire mccaskill panel top democrat angrily ask panelists one point could recall one drug valeant raise price unite state pearson respond schiller able come name one drug valeant acquire purchase salix social good social bad mccaskill say lawmakers also question whether valeant patient assistance rebate program truly help patients hospitals afford medications senator susan collins panel chairman say committee investigation thus far unable find single hospital receive discount assure many large hospital systems get discount heart drug pearson say pearson expect step come weeks make way incoming ceo joseph papa previously perrigo company prgo.n wednesday hear also feature testimony doctor patient wilson disease force stop use syprine price spike dr. frederick askari university michigan tell panel cost syprine high become less expensive get liver transplant life-time supply anti-rejection medications patient berna heyman testify valeant refuse help call complain price late speak media company change tune offer help even send flower refuse flower say ackman valeant pledge reform spike drug price