Endo settles with LecTec

CHADDS FORD, Pa. Generic drug maker Endo Pharmaceuticals has reached a settlement with the manufacturer of a pain drug, Endo announced Thursday.

Endo will pay LecTec $23 million for a license to U.S. Patent Nos. 5,536,263 and 5,741,510, which cover the drug Lidoderm (lidocaine). The drug is a patch used to treat after-shingles pain, also known as postherpetic neuralgia.

Shingles is a disease caused by the varicella zoster virus, the same virus that causes chickenpox. The disease, which often but not always occurs in people who have had chickenpox, causes blistering and rashes.

“We are pleased to add these patents to our IP inventory, especially as they relate to Lidoderm,” Endo EVP and chief legal officer Caroline Manogue said in a statement.