in.reuters.comWASHINGTON (Reuters) - Amylin Pharmaceuticals Inc's and Eli Lilly and Co's diabetes drug Byetta may be linked to cases of acute pancreatitis in some patients, U.S. health officials said in an alert issued on Tuesday.The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said it has reviewed 30 reports of pancreatitis in patients taking Byetta, known generically as exenatide."An association between Byetta and acute pancreatitis is suspected in some of these cases," an FDA alert said.Amylin has agreed to add information about acute pancreatitis to the precautions section of Byetta's label, the FDA said.Shares of Eli Lilly and Amylin were off 1.3 percent and 4.5 percent, respectively, in afternoon trading after the FDA alert. Shares of Alkermes Inc, the drug-delivery technology of which is being used to develop a long-acting version of Byetta, were down about 5 percent.Officials at Amylin were not immediately available for comment. A Lilly spokeswoman had no immediate comment.The FDA said
Title : Amylin - Physiology and PharmacologyAuthor : Andrew YoungPublisher: Academic PressISBN / ASIN: 0120329549Deciphers amylin’s physiology and reveals previously unrecognized mechanisms fundamental to control body weight and fuel homeostasis. Also discusses therapeutic utility of amylin as the first new medicine to treat diabetes since insulin. *Provides a current comprehensive treatment of amylin the hormone*Identifies the majority of amylin’s physiologic functions RAPIDSHARE DOWNLOAD
I have been recommending Amylin (AMLN) for a long time now. Unfortunately, I recommended this stock when it was higher than current levels and people who bought this on my recommendation have since been sitting on 10-15% losses. However, I have always believed in this company. They have partnered with the giant Eli Lilly (LLY) and have been working on improving their diabetes drug, including a dosage that would need to be taken only once a week. Additionally, the company has obesity drugs in their pipeline, which makes them an attractive take-over target.A recent study conducted by AMLN and LLY showed that diabetics taking the blood-sugar drug Byetta had about one-sixth the risk of hypoglycemia compared to those taking insulin.The market for diabetes is huge, but Amylin, after a huge run in 2005, has been flat for 18 months. The short ratio on the stock is around 17% and with triple digit quarterly revenue growth, the stock is poised for a move. I still like the stock at current levels
