Executive Summary
Endo Pharmaceuticals is a global company which is focused on matters of improving the lives of patients and creating more value to everyone in the health sector. It is located in Northeastern US and headquartered in Malvern, Pennsylvania, United States.
The company deals with biotechnology, healthcare and pharmaceuticals. The company also provides the much needed healthcare solution to both America and internationally all over the whole world. The company offers many types of products and most of them are branded prescription products.
The company has expanded its territories by acquiring many other companies in the same field of healthcare thus taken the lager market in the wider United States.
Cases involved;
Opioid (OPANA) Litigation
This is the case where Endo Pharmaceuticals and other manufacturers of Opioid Opana have been accused of downplaying the risks of opioids and marketing the drugs as non addictive which led to massive prescription by the physicians and other healthcare personnel.
This turned the other way where many patients who used this drug had severe effects of addictive in nature and overdose.
These litigations are still going on and no settlement yet has been reached.
History of Endo Pharmaceuticals
The history of Endo pharmaceuticals dates back to 1997 when three executives of DuPont Merck decided to buy out some products and all the laboratories with $277 million from Kelso and company financing. This led to the birth of Endo pharmaceuticals.
Subsidiaries of Endo Pharmaceuticals
- Par Pharmaceuticals
This is a company that was established in the year 1978. It located in the northeastern United States and its headquarters being at Malvern, Pennsylvania, United States.
It develops, manufactures and markets and number of great cost effective and innovative generic pharmaceutical products around the United States.
Par Pharmaceuticals was acquired by Endo pharmaceuticals in May 2015 at a cost of $8.1 billion, being the highest cost acquisition up to date. Since then, par pharmaceuticals has been a champion in developing and manufacturing great products in the pharmaceutical industry.
Due to its uncompromising high quality products, the company has gained a lot of trust and relied upon by many patients and physicians all over the United States. This makes Endo pharmaceutical become among the top 5 biggest generic pharmaceutical companies in the entire United States.
- Auxilium Pharmaceuticals
Auxilium Pharmaceuticals in a pharmaceutical company situated in the United States that was established in 1999 by Geraldine Henwood, and its focus is to develop, manufacture and market pharmaceutical products that associate mostly with urology and sexual health.
It is located in the northeastern United States and its headquarters are at Centerbrook, Connecticut, United States.
Auxilium pharmaceuticals was acquired by Endo pharmaceuticals in September 2014 at a total cost of $2.6 billion. The company has developed tremendously to meet the growing medical needs of the US citizens.
- American Medical Systems
This is a pharmaceutical company located in the United States and its headquarters are in Minnetonka, Minnesota, United States. It was established in 1972 and deals with the supplier of medical devices and procedures which are aimed at curbing incontinence, erectile dysfunction, pelvic floor prolapse, benign prostatic hyperplasia and many other disorders of the pelvic in both men and women.
These effects in both men and women obviously affect the social life and diminish their lives significantly and American medical systems is there to ensure that this doesn’t happen and instead make this life prolonged.
American medical systems company was acquired by Endo pharmaceuticals in June 2011 at an agreed cost of $2.9 billion on cash terms. It became part of the Endo pharmaceutical family.
- Qualitest Pharmaceuticals
Qualitest pharmaceuticals is a company based in US and headquartered at Huntsville, Alabama, United States. It is ranked as the sixth largest generic companies in the US based on prescription filled.
The company was acquired by Endo pharmaceuticals in September 2010 at a cost of $1.2 billion.
The company mostly deals with generic products and distributes quite a great number to the US citizens.
- Dava Pharmaceuticals
This company was established in 2004 and engages in developing and highly marketing of a wide portfolio of pharmaceutical products. It is headquartered in Fort Lee, New Jersey, United States. The company is keenly building and widening its product portfolio through partnerships, mergers, acquisitions and alliances.
The company was acquired by Endo pharmaceuticals in August 2014 at accost of $575 million. Since then it has remained to be under Endo pharmaceuticals family and widening its product portfolio.
- Penwest Pharmaceuticals
This is the company that was founded in 1991 and it is headquartered in Patterson, New York, United States. The company develops and offers drugs to patients all over the United States.
The company was acquired by Endo pharmaceuticals in August 2010 at a cost agreed in shares of 30,810,778 shares at $4.2 each. This was approximately 82% of the shares making Endo Pharmaceuticals acquire the company.
Popular Products of Endo Pharmaceuticals
- Oxymorphone (Opana)
This is an opioid agonist greatly indicated for the management of the pain which is very severe enough to require daily, around the clock and long term opioid treatment for which other alternative medications have proved to be inadequate. Its major role is to suppress and manage pain. Because of the addiction and misuse and major great risks of having an overdose, it is recommended that you reserve OPANA for use in patients only whose alternative treatments have totally failed to be effective.
Its dosage and administration should be; to be prescribed by only health practitioners, who have the knowledge in the use of opioids in pain management, use the much available lowest dosage possible, dosing should be based highly on severity of the pain and administer at least one to or prior to eating or after.
- Dilatrate – SR
This is a drug manufactured and marketed by Endo pharmaceuticals which is used to treat chest pain. It can also be used for other purposes but through the doctors’ prescription.
When taking this drug, you may have some side effects like headache which goes away with time after taking this drug, dizziness and fast or slow heartbeat. When this effect comes out, it is recommended you see the doctor immediately.
The drug should be stored in places with room temperature; very dry place and much protected from light and always keep out of the reach of children.
- Robaxin – 750
This is another popular product from Endo Pharmaceuticals whose generic name is Methocarbamol. It is a muscular relaxer which is used together with muscular therapy to treat muscle conditions like pain or injuries.
This drug should not be taken if you are allergic to it and if you are using opioids or narcotic medication and during early pregnancies because it can cause effects.
Take this medicine as recommended, do not take in larger or smaller quantities and reduce the dose after taking it for the first 2 or 3 days.
Its common side effects include dizziness, slow heartbeat, fever, nausea and vomiting and sleep problems.
- Semplex – D
This drug’s generic name is Acrivastine and pseudoephedrine. This is a combination medicine which is normally used to treat or diagnose running or stuffy nose, watery eyes, itching and sneezing.
This drug should not be used at all with patients who have uncontrolled blood pressure or diabetes without a proper prescription of the doctor. When taking this medicine, always follow the doctors’ prescription or the prescription on the labels. Also avoid alcohol because it brings other side effects with this drug.
The common side effects of this drug include; dry mouth, nausea and headache. Always store in a cool dry places and away from the reach of children.
- Endodan
Its generic name is called Oxycodone and Aspirin. This medicine is used to easy pain. It taken with or without food and when it causes stomach upsets, frequently take it with food.
- Nascobal
This is a drug which is used to treat vitamin B12 deficiency in patients with anemia and other conditions. Its generic name is Cyanocobalamin.
Its side effects are easy bruising and unusual bleeding, headache and runny nose.
Product Recalls and Lawsuits
- Robaxin Recall 2018
In September 2018, Endo pharmaceuticals made a voluntary recall of two lots of Robaxin 750mg tablets. This was due to incorrect dosing on the label. The daily dosing that was on 750mg 100 count bottle packs was incorrect prompting for the recall. The daily dosing was erroneously indicated as two to four tablets four times a day instead of two tablets three times daily. This was a mistake that was not to be avoided because it could have led to overdose and not taking the correct dosage as per daily and for the correct number of days.
The patients who followed this incorrect dosing experienced drowsiness or dizziness. Up to this day, Endo pharmaceuticals has not received any complaint from this error and recall hence there is no any lawsuit concerning this recall.
- Edex Recall 2017
Endo pharmaceuticals in February 2017 made a voluntary recall of Edex (Alprostadil for injection). The drug is normally used to treat male erectile dysfunction. This was because the clamp defect that is used in the manufacturing process and it was potentially seen that this might compromise the container closure and thus doubting its integrity. This hence could have resulted to affecting the assurance of the sterility of the whole drug. This can lead to very serious and grave effects in the long run.
The company then made this voluntary recall of this drug in order to avoid future repercussions.
The recalled product was estimated to be in 2 count cartons and was distributed between December 13 2016 and February 13 2017.
The company has not received any claim or complains concerning this recall and there is no issue whatsoever regarding this recall. The product is still fully in the market.
Litigation Settlements
- Testosterone Liability Suits Settlement
Endo Pharmaceuticals made an agreement in June 2018 to settle over 1300 lawsuits of its testosterone replacement drug with an amount of over $200 million. The company was accused of marketing this drug in a very irresponsible way ignoring and not putting in mind all the potential risks involved.
Sources:
https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/endo-pharmaceuticals#section-current-team
http://www.endo.com/endopharma/our-products
http://www.endo.com/about-us/history
https://www.drugs.com/manufacturer/endo-pharmaceuticals-inc-51.html
Tracy Everhart
Tracy Everhart is the Editor for Drug Law Journal. A highly-trained and certified medical professional, Tracy is also an accomplished medical writer. After spending years on the front lines of the medical profession, Tracy now devotes her expertise and skills to researching and reporting on new drugs and devices that enter the market, as well as their side-effects and the real-life stories involved. Prior to joining Drug Law Journal, Tracy wrote for benchmark online healthcare resources focused on families and, in particular, women’s health issues. Tracy holds post-graduate degrees from both the American College of Healthcare Sciences and the Yale School of Nursing. She is also a graduate of both Hampshire College, where she studied microbiology and the University of South Carolina school of nursing.