TORONTO (AP) — Valeant Pharmaceuticals International Inc. has agreed to buy dermatology products maker Medicis Pharmaceutical Corp. for about $2.6 billion in cash in a deal to strengthen its position in skin treatments and care.

Montreal-based Valeant, Canada’s largest publicly-traded pharmaceuticals company, said Monday that it has agreed to pay $44 per share for Medicis, a 39 percent premium over Friday’s closing price of $31.87 for the Scottsdale, Ariz., target company.