After years of legal battle, Novartis settled before trial. Under the settlement, Novartis made "extensive factual admissions," the U.S. Department of Justice said. RELATED: With new settlement, Novartis has shelled out $1.3B for kickbacks, bribery and price fixing this year In addition, the company entered into a corporate integrity agreement with the HHS' Office of Inspector General, in which it pledges to reduce the number of paid speaker programs and limit the maximum money it may spend on such events. The case marks the latest in Novartis' ethics and compliance breaches.