1. Valeant said its CEO J. Michael Pearson will return after a medical leave, but the drugmaker will split his role, appointing Robert Ingram as chairman, a position previously held by Pearson. Some investors had felt the company was too reliant on Pearson. (WSJ)
2. The FDA plans to conduct a survey assessing patients about their views on direct-to-consumer advertising. The last time the regulator surveyed patients about their experiences and attitudes toward DTC was in 2002. (Federal Register)
3. Physicians in the U.S. provide medical advice on social media, including promoting certain drugs, and often do not mention they receive payments from the makers of those therapies. The promotional activities are taking place on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, among other sites. (Stat)
4. China plans to speed up approvals of new drugs with clear clinical value. This would include medicines that treat rare diseases, AIDS, malignant tumors, and hepatitis. (Reuters)
5. The struggles of two high-profile drug launches—Novartis’ Entresto and Sanofi’s and Regeneron’s Praluent—have raised questions about the effectiveness of U.S. launches against increasingly powerful pharmacy benefit managers. (WSJ)
