- In Search of America's ‘Hottest Forecasters’
- Dow vs. S&P 500: Which is a Better Investment?
- Mick Fleetwood on the MP3 ‘Dumbing Down’ of Music
- Avis on the Road to Strong Growth: Analyst
- Private Homebuilders: Dead Men Walking
- LinkedIn’s Growth Is Already Priced In: Analyst
- The Real Reason Behind Bank of America’s Rally
- 5 Hedge Funds’ Top Stocks Soar After 2011 Rout
- This Valentine’s Day Love Is Served on a Silver Platter
- Greek Cabinet Approves EU, IMF Bailout Bill
- We're Not Greece: Italian Prime Minister Monti
- Private Homebuilders in the US: Dead Men Walking
- Dividend Payout Could Hit Record Amount This Year
- With Investors So Bullish, Stock Pullback Must Be Ahead
- Obama Likely to Call for Cutting Top Corporate Tax Rate
- New York Fashion Week Fall 2012
- NetNet: Why Saving Greece Could Destroy the World
- My Funny Valentine: When Love and the Fed Collide
MOST SHARED
- We're Not Greece: Italian Prime Minister Monti
- Obama Likely to Call for Cutting Top Corporate Tax Rate
- To Play Senate Cybersecurity Bill, Cramer Likes Fortinet Stock
- Greek Cabinet Approves EU, IMF Bailout Bill
- Special Feature: Wall Street History - How Wall Street Got Its Name
- How to Trade the Turmoil in Greece
- Private Homebuilders: Dead Men Walking
- Why Cramer Likes Select Comfort Over Tempur-pedic Stock
- Cramer: 10 Earnings to Watch Next Week
- Lightning Round: Trina Solar, Zoltek, Affymax and More
Amylin Feeling Pressure From Competition
Text Size 
Web Editor, Mad Money
Amylin Pharmaceuticals [AMLN
Loading...
()
] has felt the pressure of late since Merck [MRK
Loading...
()
] released a diabetes drug to rival its own Byetta. And there’s no relief in sight with Novartis [NVS
Loading...
()
] not far behind in getting approval for its Galvus treatment. CNBC’s Mike Huckman spoke with Amylin CEO Ginger Graham about how the competition is affecting the company.
While at the JPMorgan Healthcare Conference in San Francisco, Graham says the idea that Merck and Novartis are stealing business from Amylin is off the mark. She cites the American Diabetes Association, which says that two-thirds of the 21 million diabetes sufferers in the U.S. need better blood-sugar control. Also, Byetta grew 28% in the third quarter, and Graham expects further growth as more uses for the drug are approved.
Byetta is a self-injected drug that lowers blood sugar and helps patients lose weight. It has to be kept refrigerated, but Amylin is awaiting approval from the Food and Drug Administration for a room-temperature version of the drug. Graham also mentioned that a once-a-week treatment is currently being tested.
Amylin ran into some trouble last year when it couldn’t produce enough Byetta to meet demand. The company had to ask doctors to stop prescribing it. But Graham says that the drugs channels have been restocked and that even free samples are available to patients now.
But with the stock price down, does Amylin stand the chance of being bought by partner Eli Lilly [LLY
Loading...
()
] or another pharmaceutical company? Graham doesn’t think so.
“I believe Amylin’s future is much brighter as a stand-alone entity,” she says.
Graham will be stepping down as the company’s CEO later this year.
- Marketing clichés aside, sometimes diamonds are for investing.
- The ‘Fast Money’ traders weigh in on fashion related stocks from apparel to footwear.
- This list of the 10 most active cities for speed traps was compiled by Trapster.com. See if your town is there.
- This Valentine’s Day should prove a love fest for restaurants, as many couples will be dining out.
- Here’s a look at Westminster Kennel Club’s most successful breeds—and how much they cost.
- What kind of homes do celebrity couples share? Here’s our updated list. Take a look.
Data is a real-time snapshot *Data is delayed at least 15 minutes
