Former MO Professor Accused of Stealing and Selling a Student’s Invention

A former Missouri professor is accused of stealing and selling a student’s invention. A lawsuit has been filed alleging a former University of Missouri-Kansas City pharmacy professor stole a student’s research and secretly sold the work to a pharmaceutical company for $1.5 million dollars. The suit says the sale has the potential of earning $10 million additional dollars in royalties over the next five years from what the university says could be a billion-dollar drug. The pharmaceutical invention would treat dry eye.

University policy allows the inventor to get a third of the money in current and future royalties. UMKC and the University of Missouri system gets the other two thirds.

The professor at the center of the lawsuit, Dr. Ashim Mitra says the school is trying to cash in on his hard work. The lawsuit attempts to strip Mitra of any claim to the share because he reportedly violated university policy by allegedly making a secret deal with two drug companies.

You’ll remember Mitra is the same professor accused of using some of his international students as his personal servants by threatening to revoke their visas if they didn’t did do chores at his home like mowing his lawn, taking care of his dog and helping out at his social functions

He submitted his resignation in January. It takes effect March 31.