This headline initially stated the incorrect total amount that Novartis paid Cohen. It has been corrected.

Swiss drug manufacturer Novartis AG said Wednesday that it paid a consulting company created by Michael Cohen, President Donald Trump’s personal lawyer, $100,000 a month for advice about “how the Trump administration might approach certain U.S. healthcare policy matters, including the Affordable Care Act.”

But a month after entering the one-year contract, Novartis met with Cohen and concluded that he and his company, Essential Consultants, couldn’t “provide the services that Novartis had anticipated,” the company said — but it still was obligated to pay out the contract through its end.

“As the contract unfortunately could only be terminated for cause, payments continued to be made until the contract expired by its own terms in February 2018,” according to the company’s statement.

The drug maker NVS, -1.56% NOVN, -0.44% has become the center of a political firestorm after the disclosure that it made payments to the company, Essential Consultants.

The deal, which had a total value of $1.2 million, had terms that were “consistent with the market,” according to an earlier Novartis statement.

Novartis also said that the contract predated current Chief Executive Officer Vas Narasimhan’s tenure, and had nothing to do with a dinner Narasimhan had with Trump at the World Economic Forum.

Narasimhan became the drug maker’s CEO on Feb. 1, taking the reins from Joe Jimenez. Jimenez stepped down after leading the pharmaceutical giant through a tumultuous eight years marked by big patent expiries and intensifying scrutiny on drug pricing in the U.S.

Before scoring the CEO job, Narasimhan served as the company’s global head of drug development and chief medical officer. He joined Novartis NOVN, -0.44% in 2005 after a stint with consultancy McKinsey & Co.

The reports about companies paying Cohen’s firm have come as a memo on the topic was released on Twitter by Michael Avenatti, a lawyer for former porn star Stephanie Clifford. Clifford, also known as Stormy Daniels, has alleged she had a sexual encounter with Trump in 2006.

Avenatti’s memo claims that Novartis made payments to Cohen in late 2017 and early 2018 totaling $399,920. AT&T T, -2.07% paid him $200,000, Avenatti also alleged, a detail that AT&T later confirmed.

Read more:AT&T confirms it paid Cohen’s company for ‘insights’ into Trump administration

And see:Mueller’s team questions Russian oligarch about payments to Cohen

Novartis this week also is acknowledging that it has been contacted by Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s team, which has been investigating Russia’s role in the U.S. presidential election.

The company was contacted in November, and cooperated with the special counsel’s office and its information request, Novartis said.

“Novartis considers this matter closed as to itself and is not aware of any outstanding questions regarding the agreement,” the company said.

Shares of the U.S.-listed stock rose 0.5% on Wednesday, as the Stoxx Europe 600 Index SXXP, +0.55% gained 0.6%. The stock dropped 1.3% over the past 12 months, while the Stoxx 600 has fallen 0.9%.