Photo credit: Haymarket Medical/J H Lancy

1. Physicians tend to view clinical research from high-income countries more favorably than studies conducted in low-income countries, making them less likely to adopt cost-saving health innovations, according to a new study. Physicians rated a research abstract up to 25% higher when it was labeled as coming from Harvard or Freiburg University, as opposed to Addis Ababa or Mzuzu University. (Reuters)

2. The U.S. Department of Justice is investigating Astellas Pharma’s financial support of charities that offer Medicare assistance. (Reuters)

3. Acorda Therapeutics reported that seven patients were infected with sepsis and five died in a clinical trial for its experimental Parkinson’s disease drug tozadenant. The drugmaker said it would stop patient enrollment for the trial. (Bloomberg)

4. The FDA approved Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical’s Mepsevii for the treatment of rare genetic disorder mucopolysaccharidosis type VII. (Medscape)

5. Bayer appointed Heiko Schipper, formerly deputy EVP of Nestle’s infant nutrition business, to lead its consumer health unit as a board member. He will replace Erica Mann, the drugmaker said. (Reuters)