Amylin, Lilly and Alkermes Announce Receipt of Complete Response Letter from FDA for BYDUREON(TM)

Amylin Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Eli Lilly and Company and Alkermes, Inc.announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a complete response letter regarding the New Drug Application (NDA) for BYDUREON(TM) (exenatide extended-release for injectable suspension). In the complete response letter the FDA requested a thorough QT (tQT) study with exposures of exenatide higher than typical therapeutic levels of BYDUREON. The tQT protocol will be agreed to by the FDA prior to study initiation. Additionally, the FDA has now requested the results of the DURATION-5 study to evaluate the efficacy, and the labeling of the safety and effectiveness, of the commercial formulation of BYDUREON. This letter did not cite any manufacturing processes referenced in the FDA’s March 15 complete response letter. REMS and product labeling discussions will continue following submission of the additional data.

The companies’ goal is to submit their reply to the complete response letter by the end of 2011, pending discussions with the FDA. Based on the requirements for additional data, this will likely be considered a Class 2 resubmission requiring a six-month review.

“We are committed to working closely with the FDA to resolve the issues raised in the complete response letter so that BYDUREON can be approved, and we can make this important treatment available to patients with type 2 diabetes as quickly as possible,” said Orville G. Kolterman, M.D., senior vice president, chief medical officer, Amylin Pharmaceuticals. “We remain confident in BYDUREON based on the extensive exenatide database, including more than seven years of clinical experience with BYETTA, the twice-daily form of exenatide that is available in more than 60 countries worldwide.”

BYDUREON (pronounced by-DUR-ee-on) is the proposed brand name for exenatide once weekly. It is an investigational, extended-release medication for type 2 diabetes designed to deliver continuous therapeutic levels of exenatide in a single weekly dose. BYDUREON is a once-weekly formulation of exenatide, the active ingredient in BYETTA(R) (exenatide) injection. BYETTA has been available in the U.S. since June 2005 and is used in more than 60 countries worldwide to improve glycemic control in adults with type 2 diabetes. BYDUREON and BYETTA belong to the glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist class of medications.

The NDA for BYDUREON was submitted in May 2009 and is based on data that include the DURATION-1 head-to-head clinical study, safety data from DURATION-2 and more than seven years of clinical experience with BYETTA. The agency issued a complete response letter to the companies in March 2010 and in May 2010 classified the companies’ first complete response as a Class 2 resubmission with a PDUFA action date of October 22, 2010.

Amylin to Host Investor Conference Call

Amylin will hosta conference call to discuss the complete response letter for BYDUREON at 4 p.m. PT on Oct. 19. Daniel M. Bradbury, president and chief executive officer, Amylin Pharmaceuticals, will lead the call.

The call will be webcast live through Amylin’s corporate website and a recording will be made available following the close of the call. To access the webcast, please log on to http://www.amylin.com/ approximately 15 minutes prior to the call to register, download and install any necessary audio software. For those without access to the Internet, the live call may be accessed by phone by calling (800) 857-5738 (U.S./Canada) or (415) 228-4970 (international), conference access code 7487145. A replay of the call will also be available by phone beginning approximately two hours after the close of the call and can be accessed at (866) 375-1047 (U.S./Canada) or (203) 369-0288 (international).

About Diabetes

Diabetes affects more than 24 million people in the U.S. and an estimated 285 million adults worldwide.(i),(ii) Approximately 90-95 percent of those affected have type 2 diabetes. Diabetes costs approximately $174 billion per year in direct and indirect medical expenses.(iii)

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, approximately 60 percent of people with diabetes do not achieve their target blood sugar levels with their current treatment regimen.(iv) In addition, 85 percent of type 2 diabetes patients are overweight and 55 percent are considered obese.(v) Data indicate that weight loss (even a modest amount) supports patients in their efforts to achieve and sustain glycemic control.(vi),(vii)

About BYETTA(R) (exenatide) injection

BYETTA is the first FDA-approved GLP-1 receptor agonist for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. BYETTA exhibits many of the same effects as the human incretin hormone glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1). GLP-1 improves blood sugar after food intake through multiple effects that work in concert on the stomach, liver, pancreas and brain.

BYETTA is an injectable prescription medicine that may improve blood sugar (glucose) control in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus, when used with a diet and exercise program. BYETTA is not insulin and should not be taken instead of insulin. BYETTA is not recommended to be taken with insulin. BYETTA is not for people with type 1 diabetes or people with diabetic ketoacidosis.

BYETTA provides sustained A1C control and low incidence of hypoglycemia when used alone or in combination with metformin or a thiazolidinedione, with potential weight loss (BYETTA is not a weight-loss product). BYETTA was approved in April 2005 and has been used by more than 1.3 million patients since its introduction. See important safety information below. Additional information about BYETTA is available at http://www.byetta.com/.