Amylin urges shareholders to reject Icahn board nominees

San Diega, USA-based Amylin Pharmaceuticals has written to shareholders in connection with the annual meeting on May 27, urging all of them to  vote for Amylin's directors and reject the nominees of both billionaire  investor Carl Icahn and Eastbourne Capital Management.

Daniel Bradbury, chief executive and James Wilson, lead independent  director, explained in the letter that, "within the next two decades,  cases of diabetes are estimated to grow by 55% globally. With over 23  million people with diabetes in the USA last year, Amylin is at the  center of a rapidly-growing market and has the opportunity to deliver  transformational therapies to an increasing number of diabetes patients.  If approved by the Food and Drug Administration, Amylin's exenatide once  weekly will be the first once-a-week treatment for type 2 diabetes. With  no similar drug on the market, we believe it has the potential to  transform the treatment of diabetes through its efficacy and convenient  once-weekly administration."

They continued: "as your company's opportunities have grown over the  past few years, we have spent considerable time evaluating board  composition to enhance stockholder value. In fact, since 2005, half of  the board has changed, with six new directors joining."