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Federal Contractor Misconduct Database (FCMD)
The federal government routinely awards contracts to companies with
histories of misconduct, including
…
contract fraud and other
violations. POGO believes that providing this website will help to
improve contracting decisions and increase public knowledge of how
the government spends billions of taxpayer dollars each year.
Read more…
U.S. ex rel. Kester, et al. v. Novartis et al. (Kickbacks, False Claims)
Dozens of states and the federal government filed a False Claims Act lawsuit alleging that Novartis paid kickbacks to specialty pharmacy chains, including AmerisourceBergen, to boost sales of Novartis’s drugs, including Gleevec, Exjade, Tasigna, Tobramycin Inhalation Solution (TOBI), and Myfortic. Novartis allegedly offered financial inducements such as referrals of patients, rebates, and discounts in exchange for the pharmacies’ agreement to recommend and increase the sales of Novartis specialty drug products and to take steps to capture an increased market share for Novartis’ products. As a result, the lawsuit alleged Novartis knowingly caused the pharmacies to submit hundreds of millions of dollars in false claims to publicly-funded health care programs. In November 2015, Novartis reached a $390 million settlement with the Department of Justice, all intervening states, and the individual who originally filed the lawsuit.
- Misconduct Type
- Ethics
- Enforcement Agency
- Multiple Agencies
- Contracting Party
- None
- Court Type
- Civil
- Disposition
- Settlement
- Date of Original Complaint
- 11/14/2011