BERN: American authorities are seeking up to $3.3 billion in fines from Swiss pharmaceutical giant Novartis on allegations it paid kickbacks to boost drug sales, according to a document AFP consulted on Wednesday.
The legal filing made Monday to a New York court by US officials details 126,802 prescriptions for Novartis medication Exjade, and 39,209 for Myfortic submitted by pharmacies for a total $508 million in reimbursements from government health care programs.
The complaint by US authorities alleges Basel-based Novartis coaxed pharmacy chains to convince customers to fill or refill relevant prescriptions with Exjade or Myfortic — which respectively lowers blood iron levels and combats the risk of rejection in kidney transplant patients — in exchange for rebates and other advantages. The filing notes that Novartis maintains it offered legal rebates to pharmacies it worked with.
