Ethics and Best Practices

Allerganâ€™s Secret Demands

Sat, 14 Feb 2009 20:15:48 GMT

When pharmaceutical titan Allergan embarked on a campaign to buy out, i.e. to monetize, the University of Georgia's (UGA) future royalty stream from the billion-dollar drug Restasis®, Allergan insisted that talks be held behind a thick veil of secrecy, and that the agreement never be revealed to the public.

Six years after its plan succeeded in buying a royalty stream worth hundreds of millions of dollars for a mere $23 million, the secrecy continues.

Faculty Property Stolen in â€œContract of Adhesionâ€�

Sat, 14 Feb 2009 20:23:38 GMT

Dr. Renee Kaswan, the inventor of the blockbuster dry eye treatment Restasis®, signed only two contracts with the University of Georgia that pertained to her intellectual property rights. But when a dispute over the rights to her invention went to court, a host of other documents found their way into the record including an obscure 1979 (revised in 1995) agreement between the UGA Research Foundation (UGARF) and the Georgia State Board of Regents. This document is not generally provided o

A Sinister Plot

Sat, 14 Feb 2009 20:26:52 GMT

It was a "sinister" plot, at least that’s how a Georgia state judge described a plan by pharmaceutical giant Allergan to buy down the University of Georgia’s share of the profits from the breakthrough dry-eye drug Restasis®.

The plan was simple enough, entice the cash-strapped University of Georgia Research Foundation to sell its long term royalty stream for the promise of a quick cash payment. In the end, UGARF would sell its rights to their share of hu

Kaswan Speaks at Journalist Press Conference for Book Launch

Thu, 02 Apr 2009 15:50:24 GMT

On Tuesday, March 31st, New South Books held a press conference that was part book launch and part memorial for the Pulitzer Prize winner, investigative journalist, Rich Whitt. Behind the Hedges: Big Money and Power Politics at the University of Georgia, slated for released April 6th, is destined to be a must-read for die hard UGA fans, all students current and past and anyone concerned with the integrity of the American educational inst

Pulitzer Prize Winning Journalist's Sudden Death

Thu, 02 Apr 2009 15:51:12 GMT

Rich Whitt, Pulitzer Prize winning journalist, died unexpectedly of a heart attack on Monday, January 26, 2009 at his home in Marietta, Georgia. He was 64.

Whitt was a hard-hitting journalist who held himself and those in public service to the highest standards and was relentless in exposing those who harmed those they were charged with serving and protecting.

His Pulitzer Prize was

When Universities Stand with their Researchers, Everyone Benefits...

Fri, 17 Apr 2009 20:01:49 GMT

Drs. Dennis Liotta, Raymond Schinazi and Woo-Baeg Choi developed two major drugs to fight HIV: lamivudine (3TC) and emtricitabine (FTC) which are the treatment of choice for some 80 percent of all HIV/AIDS patients.

For faculty researchers, protecting patent rights is critical for pursuit of subsequent research and licensing to generate funds for further research. How patent rights are determined differs for the U.S. and international right

Pharmaceuticals for the Poverty-Stricken of the World

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 18:57:14 GMT

Major pharmaceutical companies are doing an inadequate job of making their products available to the populations of impoverished countries. Universities have a role to play in changing that, says the international student group Universities Allied for Essential Medicines (UAEM). UAEM believes university technology transfer protocols should be about much more than generating profits.

The group said

Bureaucracy in Tech Transfer Is a
Dead End

Thu, 30 Jul 2009 17:34:10 GMT

A recent whitepaper out of the Max Planck Institute for Economics, From Bureaucratic Tech Transfer to Entrepreneurial Tech Commercialization, discusses attributes of a successful entrepreneurially-based technology commercialization program. The University of Utah's young program is presented as a model of success in this type of establishment.

University of Utah's pro

IP Advocates Salutes Innovators in August for National Inventors Month

Tue, 11 Aug 2009 21:30:55 GMT

Every August, the creativity and advancements of inventors is saluted in a month-long recognition begun in 1998 by the United Inventors Association of the USA (UAI-USA). The month of honor is intended to promote a positive image of inventors and celebrate their contribution to society and the greater good.

National Inventors Month is sponsored by the Academy of Applied Science, Inve

As Industries Battle Over Issues With Patent System,
Who's Watching Out For the Inventor?

Fri, 21 Aug 2009 19:40:35 GMT

Major players in the U.S. economy are divided on what, if any, is the best method of patent "reform" to solve the current system plagued by litigation and controversy. Lobbyists for industries with a stake in reform are applying pressure to lawmakers and have invested vast sums over the last few years to quell attempts at reform that do not meet its needs. With a variety of parties keenly interested in the outcome, IP Advocate wonders if best practices can supercede special interest in achiev