1. Physicians who work in teaching hospitals that limit detailing efforts from drugmakers prescribe fewer promoted drugs and also prescribe more generic drugs, according to a NIH-funded study. (NPR)
2. The Campaign for Sustainable Rx Pricing, a coalition of healthcare stakeholders that includes insurers and PBMs, launched a series of ads saying pharma companies are responsible for rising drug costs. The ads satirize traditional pharma broadcast TV ads by promoting a fake drug, “PriceGougl$Sol.”
3. The fastest growing agency discipline in terms of revenue growth in 2016 was healthcare, according to Advertising Age‘s Agency Report. The report also found that the world’s 10 biggest agency companies are now increasingly populated by consultancies, including Accenture Interactive, PwC Digital Services, IBM iX, and Deloitte Digital. (AdAge)
4. Valeant Pharmaceuticals International is weighing a name change, CEO Joseph Papa told investors. Talk of a new name comes as Valeant has lost more than 95% of its value in the past two years. (Bloomberg)
5. ICYMI: The Stagwell Group, a holding company created by former WPP executive Mark Penn, acquired Scout, a healthcare marketing firm. Sources told The Wall Street Journal that Scout had annual revenue of around $30 million. (WSJ)
