Editing Novartis (section)

===Michael Cohen===
[[File:REPORT White House Access for Sale Michael Cohen and Novartis.pdf|thumb|upright|[[Senate Finance Committee]] report on [[Michael Cohen (lawyer)|Michael Cohen]]'s dealings with Novartis, entitled "White House Access for Sale"]]
Novartis paid $1.2&nbsp;million to Essential Consultants, an entity owned by [[Michael Cohen (lawyer)|Michael Cohen]], following the 2017 inauguration of Donald Trump. Cohen was paid monthly, with each payment just under $100,000. Novartis claims it paid Cohen to help it understand and influence the new administration's approach to drug pricing and regulation.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Novartis admits $1.2m in payments to Trump lawyer |work=[[Financial Times]] |url=https://www.ft.com/content/61e2cca8-5363-11e8-b3ee-41e0209208ec |access-date=2018-05-10 |archive-date=9 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201109004049/https://www.ft.com/content/61e2cca8-5363-11e8-b3ee-41e0209208ec |url-status=live }}</ref>

In July 2018, the [[US Senate committee]] report "White House Access for Sale" revealed that Novartis Ag's relationship with Cohen was "longer and more detailed". Novartis initially stated that the relationship ceased a month after entering the US$1.2&nbsp;million contract with Cohen's consulting firm since the consultants were not able to provide the information the pharmaceutical company needed. Later, it became clear, however, that then-CEO [[Joseph Jimenez]] and Cohen communicated via email multiple times during 2017, which included ideas to lower drug prices to be discussed with the president. According to the report, several of the ideas appeared later in Trump's drug pricing plan, released in early 2018, in which pharmaceutical companies were protected from reduced revenues.<ref>Emma Court (16 July 2018.) [https://www.marketwatch.com/story/novartis-had-longer-and-more-detailed-relationship-with-trump-lawyer-michael-cohen-senate-report-finds-2018-07-13 Novartis had 'longer and more detailed' relationship with Trump lawyer Michael Cohen, Senate report finds] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201115035934/https://www.marketwatch.com/story/novartis-had-longer-and-more-detailed-relationship-with-trump-lawyer-michael-cohen-senate-report-finds-2018-07-13 |date=15 November 2020 }}. ''[[MarketWatch]]''. Retrieved 21 August 2018.</ref><ref>[https://www.finance.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/REPORT%20White%20House%20Access%20for%20Sale%20Michael%20Cohen%20and%20Novartis.pdf White House Access for Sale: Michael Cohen, Novartis and the bid to sell access to the Trump administration] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201113040406/https://www.finance.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/REPORT |date=13 November 2020 }}. Retrieved 21 August 2018.</ref>