Much has been written about the recent settlement between Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corp. and the U.S. Department of Justice that resolves allegations of misconduct relating to in-person speaker programs held by the company from 2002 to 2011.
In particular, the novel and detailed speaker program restrictions set forth in the associated corporate integrity agreement between Novartis and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General has garnered a great deal of discussion and interest within the pharmaceutical industry, specifically with respect to so-called virtual speaker programs.