When French politicians or British sportsmen produce books with the help of unacknowledged “ghost-writers”, there is some deception involved. When pharmaceutical companies adopt similar tactics to promote their drugs in medical journals, the risks are far greater.

Companies periodically hire consultants to draft articles about their products, and then find reputable academics and doctors to attach their names as authors so the manuscripts have more chance of publication in important journals. The consultants, and the companies, are “ghosts” whose pivotal role may go unmentioned.