What restrictions did Novartis accept on its speaker programmes?

The 2020 settlement was notable for both its admissions and its restrictions. As is typical for civil settlements with the Southern District of New York, Novartis was required to admit and accept responsibility for certain conduct. The government had highlighted that attendees were often allowed to bring spouses or guests who were not prescribers, received meals and excessive alcohol at expensive restaurants, and in thousands of cases the same group of doctors met repeatedly, rotating who spoke and who was paid.

The new corporate integrity agreement eliminated the traditional format: external speaker programmes must be virtual, may not be held in restaurants, may not include alcohol, and may not be organised outside a doctor's own institution. The payment included $38.4 million under the Civil Asset Forfeiture Statute and $48.1 million for state Medicaid claims. Legal commentators viewed the deal as setting guideposts for the whole industry.