The Greek health ministry plans to seek compensation from Novartis over a long-running bribery scandal in which the company allegedly paid public officials and health care providers to boost prescriptions for its medicines and maintain inflated prices.
The government is “taking all measures to hold Novartis accountable and compensate the Greek state for its illegal practices,” according to a statement by Health Minister Thanos Plevris, who is planning legal actions in both U.S. and Greek courts. Greek officials have reportedly estimated that the scheme cost the country around $3 billion during a multiyear financial crisis.