Bausch Health under investigation over marketing of dermatology drugs- STAT

FILE PHOTO: The crest of the United States Department of Justice is seen at its headquarters in Washington, D.C.

(Reuters) - The U.S. Department of Justice is investigating Bausch Health Companies in connection with its marketing of four drugs used to treat different skin conditions, health news website STAT reported on Wednesday.

The justice department last year sought information from Bausch Health, previously known as Valeant Pharmaceuticals, under a civil investigative demand about its activities involving promotion of the drugs for uses not approved by regulators, the report said.

The company did not immediately respond to Reuters request for comment.

Bausch Health's three drugs used to treat plaque psoriasis — Bryhali, Siliq, and Duobrii – and a fungal treatment called Jublia were the focus of the department's investigation, the report said.

The Canadian firm changed its name from Valeant in 2018 as it sought to distance itself from a series of scandals and accounting issues under the drug company's previous management.

(Reporting by Leroy Leo in Bengaluru; Editing by Shinjini Ganguli)