[2] The company's products include Botox,[3] Namenda, Restasis,[4] Linzess, Bystolic,[5] Juvederm,[6] Latisse,[7] Lo Loestrin Fe, Estrace, Teflaro, Dalvance, Ozurdex,[8] Optive,[9] Natrelle,[10] Viibryd, Liletta, Saphris,[11] Enablex, Actonel, Androderm, Gelnique and others.

Actavis Global Operations also included Anda Inc, the fourth-largest US generic pharmaceutical product distributor in the United States.

[15] In July 2015, Allergan PLC announced it would sell its Generics division of the company, including Anda Inc,[16] to Teva Pharmaceuticals for $40.5 billion,[17][18] a transaction proposed for completion by the first quarter of 2016.

[19] The company was founded in the spring of 1983,[20] when, with funding from friends and family, colleagues Allen Chao, Ph.D. and David Hsia, Ph.D., began a small drug development enterprise.

By late fall of the same year, the company moved to Southern California into an initial 2,000-square-foot (190 m2) leased facility in Corona, and the development and manufacturing of generic pharmaceuticals began.

[25] As a result of the Arrow acquisition, the company also acquired the biopharmaceutical development organization Eden Biodesign in Liverpool, UK.

[27] In November 2012, Watson acquired the Switzerland-based, global generics company Actavis Group for €4.25 billion, creating the world's third largest generics company, with a leading position in key established commercial markets including the US, the UK, Nordics, Canada, Australia, and emerging markets in Central and Eastern Europe, and Russia.

On October 1, 2013, Actavis acquired Irish pharmaceutical company Warner Chilcott PLC (previously known as Galen) in a stock-for-stock transaction valued at approximately $8.5 billion.

[32] On July 1, 2014, Actavis announced that it had completed its acquisition of Forest Laboratories (who previously acquired, Furiex Pharmaceuticals Inc and Aptalis Pharma) in a cash and equity transaction valued at approximately $25 billion.

[36][37] On March 17, 2015, Actavis PLC completed the acquisition of Allergan Inc in a cash and equity transaction valued at approximately $70.5 billion.

The company's manufacturing facilities are located in Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, China, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Northern-Ireland, Italy, Malta, Puerto Rico, Romania, Singapore, Serbia, Thailand, the UK and the US.

[citation needed] Actavis PLC has 27 global R&D facilities focusing on the development of modified release products, solid oral dosages, transdermals, semi-solids, liquids and injectables around the world.

The company's R&D facilities are located in Belgium, Bulgaria, China, France, Iceland, Italy, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Japan, Romania, the UK and the US.

[41] The CMA reported its decision on 31 March 2022, confirming its findings of excessive and unfair prices being charged and anti-competitive agreements preventing the entry of potential competition into the market.

[42] Due to their production of "Promethazine With Codeine Cough Syrup", the main ingredient in recreational drug nicknamed 'lean', the brand has been name-dropped by multiple well known hip-hop artists.