Eye Rest My Case: University of Missouri Settles Litigation over Dry Eye Research

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