Pharmaceutical giant Novartis has agreed to pay more than $422 million in criminal fines and a global settlement of a spate of whistleblower lawsuits to resolve allegations that it engaged in illegal marketing practices, including the alleged payment of kickbacks to health care providers to induce them to prescribe Novartis drugs.
U.S. Attorney Zane Memeger said Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corp. — the U.S. subsidiary of Novartis AG in Switzerland — has agreed to pay a criminal fine and forfeiture of $185 million, and also agreed to pay $237.5 million to resolve civil liabilities for its off-label marketing of six drugs.
