SCHEDULE 14A INFORMATION

                Proxy Statement Pursuant To Section 14(a) Of
                    The Securities Exchange Act Of 1934

Filed by the Registrant [X]
Filed by a Party other than the Registrant [_]
Check the appropriate box:
[_]  Preliminary Proxy Statement
[_]  CONFIDENTIAL, FOR USE OF THE COMMISSION ONLY (AS PERMITTED BY
     RULE 14A-6(E)(2))
[_]  Definitive Proxy Statement
[_]  Definitive Additional Materials
[X]  Soliciting Material Pursuant to Section 240.14a-12

                         ICN Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
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              (Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)

                                    N/A
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  (Name of Person(s) Filing Proxy Statement, if other than the Registrant)
Payment of Filing Fee (Check the appropriate box):

[X]  No fee required.
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[_] Fee paid previously with preliminary materials.

[_] Check box if any part of the fee is offset as provided by Exchange Act
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paid previously. Identify the previous filing by registration statement
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                               ICN Statement

                        ICN SETS ANNUAL MEETING DATE

COSTA MESA, California - April 19, 2001 -- ICN Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NYSE:
ICN)  announced  today that it has filed with the  Securities  and Exchange
Commission a preliminary  proxy for its annual  shareholders  meeting to be
held on May 30, 2001 for shareholders of record April 23, 2001.

ICN's nominees for its Board of Directors are three distinguished  business
leaders whose  qualifications  and background add further strength to ICN's
existing board. They are:

     o    Dr. Ray Irani, Chief Executive Officer, Occidental Petroleum. Dr.
          Irani  brings to the ICN Board almost 30 years of  experience  in
          top  managerial  positions at  Occidental.  He serves as Honorary
          Chairman of the Board of Canadian  Occidental  Petroleum Ltd. and
          is a member of the Boards of  Directors of Kaufman and Broad Home
          Corporation  and Cedars Bank.  Dr. Irani is a member of the Board
          of Trustees at the University of Southern California.

     o    The Right  Honorable  Kim  Campbell,  former  Primer  Minister of
          Canada.  Ms.  Campbell  is  trained  as a  lawyer  and  political
          scientist  specializing  in  international  politics  and  Soviet
          government. Ms. Campbell's career spans academia, the practice of
          law,  administration  and elected official at all three levels of
          government.  Ms. Campbell was appointed  Consul General of Canada
          in  Los  Angeles   where  she  was  active  in  promoting   trade
          development and investment especially in the areas of multimedia,
          information  technology,   biotechnology  and  the  entertainment
          industry.


     o    Charles  T.  Manatt,  partner  and a  founder  in the law firm of
          Manatt,  Phelps,  Phillips  and  former U. S.  Ambassador  to the
          Dominican  Republic.   Mr.  Manatt  served  as  Chairman  of  the
          Democratic  National  Committee  from  1981 to 1985.  Mr.  Manatt
          returns  to the ICN Board on which he  previously  served  for 15
          years.  His level of  knowledge  about ICN and its  industry is a
          real asset to the  Company,  the  management  and other ICN board
          members.


The Company also announced that three current  directors will not stand for
re-election:  Thomas  Lenagh,  Andrei  Kozyrev and Roberts A. Smith,  Ph.D.
Messrs.  Lenagh  and  Kozyrev  will  join  the  Board of  Directors  of ICN
International,  one of  the  new  entities  being  created  under  the  ICN
restructuring  plan.  ICN  International  filed a draft  circular  with the
Budapest and London stock exchanges on March 22, 2001 for an  international
offering of shares and global depositary receipts ("GDRs").

Dr. Smith will join the board of Ribapharm, the biotechnology company being
created under the restructuring  plan.  Ribapharm has filed with Securities
and Exchange Commission for an initial public offering.


ICN stockholders are strongly advised to read the proxy statement  relating
to ICN's 2001 annual meeting of stockholders when it becomes available,  as
it will contain important information.  Stockholders will be able to obtain
this proxy  statement,  any  amendments  to the proxy  statement  and other
documents filed by ICN with the Securities and Exchange Commission for free
at  the  Internet  website   maintained  by  the  Securities  and  Exchange
Commission at www.sec.gov.  In addition,  ICN will mail the proxy statement
to each  stockholder of record on the record date to be established for the
stockholders  meeting.  ICN will also make  additional  copies of the proxy
statement and any amendments to the proxy  statement  available for free to
ICN's  stockholders.  Please direct your request for the proxy statement to
Investor Relations,  ICN  Pharmaceuticals,  Inc., 3300 Hyland Avenue, Costa
Mesa, California 92626, telephone (714) 545-0100, extension 3104.

Participant Information

In accordance with Rule  14a-12(a)(1)(i) of the Securities  Exchange Act of
1934,  as amended,  the  information  concerning  persons who may be deemed
participants is as follows:

ICN, its executive  officers and directors  named below may be deemed to be
participants  in the  solicitation of proxies for ICN's 2001 annual meeting
of  stockholders.  The  number of shares of ICN common  stock  beneficially
owned  by  each of  these  persons  as of  March  31,  2001  is  listed  in
parenthesis after his or her name.

Milan  Panic,  Chairman  of the  Board of  Directors  and  Chief  Executive
Officer,  (2,371,092);  Adam Jerney,  President and Chief Operating Officer
and a director,  (735,498);  Richard A. Meier, Executive Vice President and
Chief Financial Officer, (76,750); David C. Watt, Executive Vice President,
General  Counsel and  Corporate  Secretary,  (188,204);  John E.  Giordani,
Executive  Vice  President,  (77,356);  Bill A.  MacDonald,  Executive Vice
President,  Strategic  Planning  (44,250);  Jack L. Sholl,  Executive  Vice
President, Corporate Public Relations, (138,682); James G. McCoy, Executive
Vice President,  Corporate Human  Resources  (none);  and Johnson Y.N. Lau,
Senior Vice President, Research and Development, (18,750).

ICN's directors who are not also executive officers are: Norman Barker, Jr.
(141,690); Birch E. Bayh, Jr. (97,266); Alan F. Charles (100,478);  Stephen
D. Moses (84,505);  Roger Guillemin M.D.,  Ph.D.  (159,681);  Jean-Francois
Kurz  (127,716);  Thomas  H.  Lenagh  (124,528);  Roberts  A.  Smith  Ph.D.
(192,162);  Andrei Kozyrev,  Ph.D. (40,625),  Kim Campbell,  PC, QC (none),
Rosemary Tomich (none) and Ray Irani (none).  Charles T. Manatt (36,787) is
a nominee for election to the Board of Directors.

ICN is also party to  employment  agreements  with its  executive  officers
which provide that,  upon the  occurrence  of specific  events  following a
change in control of ICN, the executive officers may be entitled to receive
compensation  and other payments.  Additionally,  ICN's executive  officers
have  options to acquire  shares of ICN's common  stock,  some of which are
unvested as of the date  hereof.  These  options will vest upon a change in
control of ICN.

Any securities of ICN  International  offered will not be and have not been
registered under the U.S.  Securities Act of 1933, as amended,  and may not
be  offered  or  sold  in the  United  States,  absent  registration  or an
applicable exemption from registration requirements.

When  available,  copies  of the  preliminary  prospectus  relating  to the
offering  of  shares  of Class A  Common  Stock of  Ribapharm  Inc.  may be
obtained  from the offices of UBS Warburg LLC,  299 Park Avenue,  New York,
New York 10171 (212) 821-4011.

A registration  statement relating to the shares of Class A common stock of
Ribaparm  Inc.  has  been  filed  with  the U.S.  Securities  and  Exchange
Commission but has not yet become  effective.  These  securities may not be
sold nor may offers to buy be accepted  prior to the time the  registration
statement  becomes  effective.  This press release shall not  constitute an
offer to sell or the  solicitation  of an offer to buy,  nor shall there be
any sale of these securities in any state in which such offer, solicitation
or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification  under the
securities laws of any such state.