Wrinkles

... Allergan 4Q Earnings Climb 8 Percent Allergan 4Q Earnings Climb 8 Percent Staff and agencies02 February, 2006 By ALEX VEIGA, AP Business Writer 30 minutes ago LOS ANGELES - Allergan Inc., best known for the Botox wrinkle treatment, said Thursday its fourth-quarter profit increased 8 percent on the strength of higher pharmaceutical sales.

Revenue rose 7 percent to $594.9 million from $556.2 million in 2004, with pharmaceuticals sales up 11 percent.

Eye-care sales rose 13 percent to $340.6 million from a year ago.

"It appears to be another high-quality quarter from Allergan, but one marked by one of the slowest growth in eye care pharmaceuticals in two years and the slowest growth in Botox ever," wrote Bank of America analyst David W.

Maris in a note Thursday.

Investors seemed to also take note of the lighter Botox and eye care product sales, driving shares of Allergan down $2.38, or 2.1 percent, to $112.48 in afternoon trading on the New York Stock Exchange New York Stock Exchange.

Pyott also said he expects the Federal Trade Commission will clear Allergan‘s acquisition of Santa Barbara-based Inamed Corp.

within a few weeks.

Allergan made a $3.2 billion cash-and-stock offer for Inamed in November.

Inamed makes a range of "dermal filler" products used to smooth wrinkles that Allergan sees as a complement to its market-leading Botox antiwrinkle treatment.

Pyott said the company is seeking approval for Botox as a treatment for overactive bladders and hea...

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