Newport starts special DUI patrol The Newport...

Newport starts special DUI patrol

The Newport Beach Police Department has begun a two-person DUI

Patrol team funded by a $75,000 grant from the state Office of

Traffic Safety.

The team will work evenings and weekends. The grant will fund the

DUI team throughout the summer and again through the holiday season.

While other patrol officers make arrests for DUI in conjunction with

other responsibilities, the only responsibility of this team will be

to patrol for those driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

ICN faces patent infringement suit

A New Jersey-based skin-care company sued Costa Mesa drug maker

ICN Pharmaceuticals on Monday for allegedly infringing on a patent

for alpha hydroxy acid, which is used in wrinkle treatments.

TriStrata Technology, an affiliate of Princeton, N.J.-based

NeoStrata, filed the federal suit in Delaware, according to an

unnamed source at NeoStrata.

ICN, which makes ribavirin, has sold the products on the Glyn Derm

line that allegedly include the patented substances, the source said.

ICN declined to comment on the suit.

“ICN has a corporate policy not to discuss or comment on

litigation,” company spokesman Chris Kuechenmeister said.

Shares of ICN rose 20 cents, or 1.9%, on Friday to close at

$10.75.

Community lender opens its doors

Commercial Bank of California opened its doors Thursday in Costa

Mesa after securing the required regulator approvals a day earlier.

The new community lender took over the former Imperial Bank space

in the Deloitte & Touche tower in South Coast Metro.

Led by Newport Beach homebuilder William Lyon, the top investor,

Commercial Bank will specialize in loans of $250,000 to $5 million to

small companies and high-net-worth clients.

In late March, the group wrapped up a cash call from more than 30

investors, which netted $27.4 million.

Late Wednesday, the bank secured approval from the state’s

Department of Financial Institutions and the Federal Deposit

Insurance Corp., founder Bala Balkrishna said.

During its first day of business, Commercial Bank took signature

cards and spoke to several small businesses about securing loans,

Balkrishna said.