In Brief: Allergan
This article was originally published in The Rose Sheet
Executive Summary
Allergan: Merger talks with Pharmacia & Upjohn have been discontinued, the Irvine, Calif.-based eye and skin care treatment manufacturer said in a May 13 statement responding to media speculation of a merger. According to the company, the two firms had discussed "a possible stock-for-stock merger with pooling of interest accounting treatment." Allergan recently augmented its skin care business with the purchase of ethical skin care marketer Herald Pharmacal in August ("The Rose Sheet" Aug. 7, p. 7) The buy helped boost the firm's skin care revenues 84% to $13.8 mil. Allergan's prescription skin care offerings include Azelex topical acne cream. The firm also is awaiting U.S. marketing approval for Zorac retinoid tazarotene gel to treat psoriasis and acne...