ATHENS - A former University of Georgia researcher and the UGA Research Foundation say they have reached an out-of-court settlement for $20.2 million over the marketing of a prescription drug.

The settlement last week between researcher Renee Kaswan and the foundation ends a seven-year dispute over a drug called Restasis, which alleviates chronically dry eyes.

Allergan, a pharaceutical company, bought the right to develop and market the drug from the research foundation in the 1990s. Kaswan said UGA lost more than $200 million in fees in 2003 by negotiating a new deal for the drug without her knowledge.

She said the deal gave UGA more money up front, but a lot less in the long run.

Under the settlement, Kaswan agrees to release the drug company and the foundation from future claims.

"The University of Georgia Research Foundation is pleased that it has reached a settlement agreement with Dr. Renee Kaswan," university lawyer Edward Tolley said in a statement. "We believe the $20.2 million to be fair to both parties, and we wish Dr. Kaswan the best as she continues her academic research."

Kaswan says the dispute wore her down and she wants to move on with her life.

"There's no way they won this case on its merits. They didn't really win. They just beat me," said Kaswan, a former professor in the UGA College of Veterinary Medicine's small animal medicine department.

Clarke County Superior Court Judge David Sweat ruled against Kaswan more than two years ago, saying while the foundation's board may have made a bad deal, it had the right to exclude Kaswan in striking the deal.