The United States filed a False Claims Act lawsuit alleging that Novartis gave kickbacks to doctors to induce them to prescribe Novartis products, in violation of the federal Anti-Kickback Statute. The government alleged that, from January 2002 through at least November 2011, Novartis illegally induced doctors to prescribe Novartis’ drugs. The government claimed Novartis provided doctors with expensive meals and honoraria to speak at public events about certain Novartis drugs, including hypertension drugs Lotrel and Valturna and diabetes drug Starlix. Some of the government’s claims originated in a whistleblower lawsuit filed by former Novartis employee Oswald Bilotta. In July 2020, Novartis agreed to pay $729 million to settle two separate federal government actions—filed in New York and Massachusetts—involving the alleged kickback scheme. The Massachusetts action alleged Novartis illegally paid the Medicare co-pays for the drugs Gilenya and Afinitor by funneling the money through three charitable foundations.