Patent Infringement Suit

Allergan Inc., an Irvine maker of skin and eye care products, and San Diego biotechnology firm Ligand Pharmaceuticals Inc. filed suit Friday against the La Jolla Cancer Research Foundation, accusing it of infringing on patented tests on a series of drugs used to treat skin ailments. The lawsuit, which did not claim specific damages, was filed in U.S. District Court in San Diego. Allergan and Ligand, under a joint venture, hold four patents on tests of retinoids, compounds that are used to treat severe acne and psoriasis, the company stated.