Martin Shkreli's lawyer did not run from his client's troubled public image, describing him as a misunderstood genius, as he began his defense in the former drug company executive's securities fraud trial on Wednesday. Shkreli's reputation stems largely from his decision to raise the price of anti-parisitic drug Daraprim to $750 a pill, from $13.50 when he was chief executive of Turing Pharmaceuticals in 2015. That move sparked outrage among patients and U.S. lawmakers. Instead, Shkreli, who is 34, is facing charges over to his tenure as an executive at drug company Retrophin Inc and hedge fund MSMB Capital Management between 2009 and 2012. Brafman described Shkreli as a socially awkward "nerd" exploited by people around him, a sharp contrast with the villainous "pharma bro" persona depicted throughout media. The lawyer told jurors that Retrophin board members bullied Shkreli, suggesting he was autistic, questioning his sexuality and eventually forced him out because they were embarrassed by him.