Allergan Starts Marketing of Treatment for Psoriasis, Acne

After lengthy discussions with regulators, Allergan Inc. recently received approval to sell a treatment for psoriasis and acne, and the product is now being marketed.

Analysts have estimated that the product, Tazorac, could eventually contribute annual sales of $100 million annually. And development of such products hold the greatest prospects for the company’s future growth, according to analysts.

But Tazorac took longer than expected to make it to the marketplace.

On March 5, when the company told analysts that earnings for its first six months would be off as much as 20%, it blamed in part its release of the product. One analyst at the time said that delays stemmed from the company’s disagreement with the federal Food and Drug Administration over the product’s labeling.

Sold in an aqueous gel, the company says the product is safe to use on most parts of the body, including the face, though it should be applied only to affected areas.

Contact with the eyes, eyelids and mouth should be avoided, and the product isn’t recommended for women in their child-bearing years.