AMLN Amylin Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (MM)

CHICAGO, March 21 /PRNewswire/ -- William Blair & Company initiated research coverage of Amylin Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMLN) ($46.32) with a Market Perform rating and company profile of Aggressive Growth. San Diego-based Amylin is focused on the discovery and development of products to treat metabolic disorders -- diabetes in particular. Analyst John Sonnier estimated that the company would generate revenue of $362 million in 2006, $625 million in 2007, and $866 million in 2008. "We believe that Amylin is one of the highest-quality midcap biotechnology companies," Sonnier said. "The combination of two first-in-class FDA-approved drugs (Byetta and Symlin), strong management, significant pipeline growth potential, a strong balance sheet, and a partnership with Eli Lilly distinguishes Amylin among its peers, in our view." "We expect GLP-1-related therapies to reshape the management of diabetes," he added. "GLP-1 has proved to be a unique metabolic target for managing type 2 diabetes, and Byetta is the first approved GLP-1 analog. The launch of Byetta has been, and should continue to be, the most significant driver of value in Amylin shares. Notably, the biological action of GLP-1 is either directly or indirectly associated with a significant number of drugs in clinical development." William Blair & Company, L.L.C. ( http://www.williamblair.com/ ) is a Chicago-based investment firm offering investment banking, asset management, equity research, institutional and private brokerage, and private capital to individual, institutional, and issuing clients. Since 1935, we have been committed to helping clients achieve their financial objectives. William Blair & Company has offices in Chicago, Hartford, London, San Francisco, Tokyo, Vaduz, and Zurich. William Blair & Company, L.L.C. has received compensation for investment banking services from the company within the past 12 months, or expects to receive or intends to seek compensation for investment banking services in the next 3 months. William Blair & Company, L.L.C. is a market maker in the security of this company and may have a long or short position. For important disclosures and information regarding the firm's rating system, valuation methods and potential conflicts of interest, please visit: http://www.williamblair.com/Pages/news_story_dept.asp?uid=995&depID=4 Additional information is available upon request. William Blair & Company, L.L.C. is a member of the National Association of Securities Dealers, CRD number 1252. DATASOURCE: William Blair & Company, L.L.C. CONTACT: Tony Zimmer of William Blair & Company, L.L.C., +1-312-364-8611, Web site: http://www.williamblair.com/

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