Trading activity around a number of healthcare deals is being examined by the U.S. authorities as part of investigations into suspected insider trading by certain hedge fund players, the Wall Street Journal said, citing people familiar with the matter.

The authorities are scanning deals such as MedImmune Inc's takeover by AstraZeneca PLC in 2007, Merck's purchase of Schering-Plough and Wyeth's takeover by Pfizer Inc

, both in 2009, the WSJ said.

In November, the FBI raided several hedge funds against the backdrop of a widening probe into suspected insider trading in the $1.7 trillion hedge fund industry.

(Reporting by Sakthi Prasad in Bangalore; Editing by David Holmes)

Investment Insider trading Healthcare Deals