Allergan insists deal with tribe is not a sham

Allergan plc (NYSE:AGN) argued in court that its patent deal with the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe was not a sham, according to court briefings filed Friday. The company also argued that both it and the tribe should be parties to ongoing patent litigation in the U.S. District Court in the Eastern District of Texas.

Last month, Allergan transferred six patents covering dry-eye drug Restasis cyclosporine to the tribe in order to create a shield against patent challenges under the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office's inter partes review process (see BioCentury, Sept. 22)...