Teva has insisted it “did not participate in price fixing,” after being charged by the US Department of Justice with conspiring to fix prices for generic medicines, resulting in consumers being “allegedly overcharged at least $350m.”

The notoriously thin margins of generic drug manufacturers, over-leveraging and pending legal cases should have been subordinated by the continuing needs for generic drugs during lockdowns.

Two settlements totaling $729m resolve kickback claims related to speaker programs and copay charities; Novartis will limit payments to healthcare professionals for providing medical education under a new corporate integrity agreement.