Exhibit 99.1

ICN PHARMACEUTICALS APPOINTS ROBERT W. O'LEARY AS CHAIRMAN AND CEO

COSTA MESA, Calif., June 20 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- ICN Pharmaceuticals
(NYSE: ICN - News) today announced that its board of directors has
appointed Robert W. O'Leary to serve as chairman and chief executive
officer. Mr. O'Leary will replace Milan Panic, who is retiring as chairman
and CEO. Mr. Panic will remain a member of the board of directors.

o    (Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20020620/LATH050 )
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The appointment of Mr. O'Leary was made yesterday at the first board
meeting with the new directors. The board includes three new members who
were elected by shareholders at the company's annual meeting last month. In
addition to Mr. O'Leary, the new directors are Randy H. Thurman and Richard
Koppes.

The newly reconstituted board also indicated that it would review the
company's strategy with respect to market segmentation, line of business
profitability, and the previously announced plan to spin off Ribapharm and
ICN International, in light of changed circumstances and market conditions.

Mr. O'Leary is currently chairman and CEO of the Sagamore Group, a firm
specializing in spin-offs and corporate reorganizations, and is a member of
the board of directors of ThermoElectron Corporation, a maker of scientific
instruments, of Viasys Healthcare Inc., a medical device provider, and of
the Smiths Group PLC, a British engineering and aerospace firm. He
previously served as chairman and CEO of American Medical International
(AMI), a worldwide hospital company, and as president and CEO of PacifiCare
Health Systems, Inc. He was the founding chairman and CEO of Premier Inc, a
strategic alliance of health care and hospital systems.

Mr. O'Leary said that "We have begun a new era at ICN Pharmaceuticals. I
intend to focus my energies on evaluating the company's strategic business
plan with an eye toward maximizing value for all shareholders. While we
perform this evaluation, I want to assure everyone that the board and I are
firmly committed to ensuring an orderly transition and continuing ICN's
strong performance record."

The ICN board's succession planning committee is in the process of
identifying candidates to be considered as permanent CEO. The committee has
indicated that this process may take three to six months.

ICN is an innovative, research-based global pharmaceutical company that
manufactures, markets and distributes a broad range of prescription and
non-prescription pharmaceuticals, and devices under the ICN brand name. Its
research and new product development focuses on innovative treatments for
dermatology, oncology and hepatology.

Additional information is also available on the Company's Web site at
http://www.icnpharm.com.
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THE 'SAFE HARBOR' STATEMENT UNDER THE PRIVATE SECURITIES LITIGATION REFORM
ACT OF 1995. This press release contains forward-looking statements that
involve risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to, projections
of future sales, operating income, returns on invested assets, regulatory
approval processes and other risks detailed from time to time in the
Company's Securities and Exchange Commission filings. It also assumes that
the Company's operations are not adversely affected by any disruption that
may be caused by a change of control of the board as the result of the
election of three new directors.

For further information, please contact Investors, Mariann Ohanesian, ext.
3230, or Media, Alan Charles, ext. 3013, +1-714-545-0100, or After Hours:
David Calef, +1-917-815-8974, all of ICN Pharmaceuticals.