February 22, 2021
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As reported by the Associated Press, the University of Missouri System and former pharmacy professor, Ashim Mitra, have reached a confidential settlement, thereby ending the University’s patent-related litigation against Mitra.
The underlying litigation alleged that Mitra had improperly sold research belonging to the University to Auven Therapeutics Management, a pharmaceutical development company based in the U.S. Virgin Islands, for $1.5 million plus ongoing royalties. Apparently, Auven later resold the work to Sun Pharmaceutical Industries for $40 million plus royalties.
The research related to the development of a more effective drug delivery method in the treatment of dry eye. According to the University, the research and patents belonged to them, as a student had developed the underlying treatment while working as a graduate research assistant at the institution.
Mitra denied these and other allegations of wrongdoing but ultimately resigned from the University’s School of Pharmacy in 2019.
Authors: Larissa Fulop and Nargis Fazli
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