Endo says it will fight generic Lidoderm

Endo Pharmaceuticals Holdings Inc. said it was reviewing and intending to defend against an attempt by a competitor to produce a generic version of Lidoderm, a skin patch for neuralgia pain.

The Chadds Ford drug developer it received notice that Watson Laboratories Inc., a subsidiary of Watson Pharmaceuticals Inc., was asking the Food and Drug Administration for permission to file the generic before the patent had expired.

Watson Pharmaceuticals has corporates headquarters in Corona, Calif., and executive offices in Morristown, N.J.

Endo said it would pursue legal and regulatory paths to defend its drug.    - Roslyn Rudolph