Don't hate the player, hate the game, Allergan argues in Restasis row

Plenty of adjectives have been used to describe the transfer of six patents related to Allergan’s (NYSE: AGN) Restasis (cyclosporine ophthalmic emulsion) treatment for chronic dry eye disease to the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe (SRMT).

While lovers of a legal loophole have expressed admiration for the Ireland-incorporated drugmaker’s ingenuity in protecting the exclusivity of a drug that had sales of $1.5 billion last year, most have criticized the company and its chief executive Brent Saunders for socially irresponsible conduct that neglects its duty to patients.

Allergan is paying $13.75 million up front and up to a further $15 million annually to the native American tribe to transfer the patents and license them back.