Orange County’s two largest drug makers are teaming up to sell Botox in Eastern Europe.
Costa Mesa-based Valeant Pharmaceuticals International said Tuesday it has struck a pact with Irvine’s Allergan Inc. to distribute Botox in Hungary starting next month and in Poland in September.
Botox, a muscle relaxant best known for smoothing wrinkles, is Allergan’s flagship drug. Terms weren’t disclosed.
The move comes as both drug makers are eyeing more sales from drugs with cosmetic benefits. It also shows how far Valeant has come from its former days as ICN Pharmaceuticals Inc.
The alliance would have been hard to see under ICN founder and former chief executive Milan Panic, who was ousted by shareholders in 2002.
Since then, Valeant has been working to transform itself into a mainstream drug maker focused on neurology, infectious disease and skin drugs. The company is focusing on big drug markets and largely has abandoned pet projects of Panic’s in Russia and other far-flung places.
Interestingly, though, the marketing of Botox in Eastern Europe brings back memories of Panic, a native of Serbia and a former Yugoslavia prime minister.
