Japan’s Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry is investigating a series of advertorials that were dressed up as articles but were in fact cancer-drug marketing efforts. Pharmalot reports that five unnamed drugmakers paid $18,500-$56,300 for articles in an unnamed publication so their cancer drugs would be slipped into articles. The setup is similar to television and movie product placement: the magazine wrote the article, entered quotes and plugged in drug names depending on payment.

Pharmalot says the publisher says everything done was legally.