BUSINESS BRIEFING / PHARMACEUTICALS
Times Wire Reports
Biotechnology company Amylin Pharmaceuticals Inc. said it asked the Food and Drug Administration to approve its exenatide LAR, a highly anticipated once-weekly injectable diabetes treatment.
The drug is an extended version of the twice-daily injectable drug Byetta and is being viewed by Wall Street as a way for Amylin to reinvigorate sales. Byetta sales fell 32% in 2008 to $430.2 million because of safety concerns.
Because the drugs are injections, the lower dosing schedule with exenatide LAR is seen as a commercial advantage.
