March 19 (Reuters) - Bankrupt drugmaker Endo

International ( ENDPQ ) said on Tuesday a U.S. Bankruptcy Court has

approved its restructuring plan and related opioid settlements

to emerge from bankruptcy, which began in 2022.

The company said the transaction is expected to close by

late April.

As part of the bankruptcy plan, over 95% of the company's

ownership will be handed over to its lender group, which

includes investment firms Oaktree Capital Management, Silver

Point Capital and Bain Capital.

Endo ( ENDPQ ) had last month agreed to pay up to $465 million over a

decade to resolve over $7 billion in claims for purported tax

debts, a criminal investigation into the company's opioid

marketing and the federal government's possible overpayment for

its medications.

Endo ( ENDPQ ) filed for bankruptcy in August 2022 to address its $8

billion debt and thousands of lawsuits over its alleged role in

the U.S. opioid epidemic.

The company has, as part of the bankruptcy restructuring,

agreed to pay about $600 million in settlements to states and

people afflicted by the opioid crisis and to stop promoting

opioids to prescribers.

Endo ( ENDPQ ) manufactured and sold a long-acting opioid painkiller

called Opana ER, which was later withdrawn in 2017 after the

U.S. FDA declared its benefit did not outweigh public health

risks associated with opioid abuse.

The U.S. opioid epidemic has caused more than a half million

overdose deaths over more than two decades, with fentanyl and

synthetic versions a major culprit in recent years, according to

government data.

States, local governments, hospitals and individuals have

filed thousands of lawsuits against companies that allegedly

contributed to the opioid crisis, resulting in more than $50

billion in settlements with drugmakers, distributors and

pharmacy chains.