1. Drugmakers and their marketing agencies routinely pay ghostwriters to draft articles officially authored by academic researchers and hospital doctors that are published in medical journals, according to a new analysis in the British Medical Journal. Such articles have been published in The Lancet, the New England Journal of Medicine, and other journals. (BMJ)
2. Horizon Pharma said it plans to buy Raptor Pharmaceutical for about $800 million. The deal would give Horizon access to Raptor’s rare-disease business, which includes Procysbi, a treatment for nephropathic cystinosis. (Bloomberg)
3. WellDoc said it has partnered with LifeScan, a Johnson & Johnson company that markets blood glucose monitoring devices. WellDoc, a digital health company, has developed a mobile diabetes management platform.
4. Hospitals often utilize expensive medical devices in their campaigns to draw patients to their facilities. Some hospitals have incorporated technology like stents, proton therapy, and robotic surgery in their marketing initiatives. (Modern Healthcare)
5. The Justice Department subpoenaed Taro Pharmaceutical Industries, requesting information about the company’s generic-drug pricing and sales. The subpoena also went to two unnamed corporate executives. (USA Today)
