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                                                                    EXHIBIT 99.1



                                                   CONTACT:
                                                   Mark G. Foletta
                                                   Vice President of Finance and
                                                   Chief Financial Officer
                                                   (858) 552-2200
                                                   www.amylin.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

                        FDA POSTS BRIEFING DOCUMENTS FOR
                      SYMLIN(TM) ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETING

         San Diego, CA -- July 25, 2001 -- Amylin Pharmaceuticals Inc. (Nasdaq:
AMLN) announced today that the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
has posted on its website Briefing Documents for the upcoming meeting of the
Endocrinologic and Metabolic Drugs Advisory Committee. The Advisory Committee is
scheduled to meet tomorrow to consider the Company's New Drug Application (NDA)
for SYMLIN(TM) (pramlintide acetate). It is the Company's policy not to comment
on the contents of the Briefing Documents prior to the Advisory Committee
meeting. The meeting is an open public forum for unbiased, scientifically-based
presentation and discussion of relevant safety and efficacy information
contained in the Company's NDA. While there is always uncertainty regarding the
outcome of the FDA's review of a new drug candidate, the Company believes that
the results of the SYMLIN clinical trials are compelling and support regulatory
approval of SYMLIN.

         Amylin Pharmaceuticals is engaged in the discovery, development and
commercialization of drug candidates for the treatment of metabolic disorders.
The Company's lead drug candidate, SYMLIN(TM) (pramlintide acetate), is
currently under review by the FDA as a treatment for people with diabetes who
use insulin. Marketing Authorization Applications for SYMLIN were submitted in
Europe in May 2001 and have since been accepted for filing by the EMEA. Amylin
Pharmaceuticals' second diabetes drug candidate, AC2993, is in Phase 2
evaluation for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. A long-acting release
formulation, AC2993 LAR, is in Phase 1 development, with study results expected
in the third quarter of 2001. The Company's third drug candidate, AC3056, is
currently in Phase 1 evaluation as a potential treatment for metabolic disorders
relating to cardiovascular disease. The Company has adopted a commercialization
plan for SYMLIN that includes establishment of an internal commercial
organization. The Company continues to evaluate arrangements with companies that
may add value to its commercialization efforts for SYMLIN in the US as well as
in Europe, Japan and other markets. Amylin Pharmaceuticals is based in San
Diego, California and has approximately 220 employees. Further information on
Amylin Pharmaceuticals and its pipeline in metabolism is available at
www.amylin.com.

         This press release contains forward-looking statements about the
Company which involve risks and uncertainties, including statements regarding
the Company's belief that the results of the Company's clinical trials support
regulatory approval of SYMLIN, the timing of public

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announcements of the results of the Company's current Phase 1 clinical trials
for AC2993 LAR and the Company's commercialization plans for SYMLIN. The
Company's actual results could differ materially from those forward-looking
statements discussed in this press release as a result of a number of risks and
uncertainties, including risks and uncertainties in the FDA's review of NDAs
generally, risks and uncertainties that the FDA may require additional clinical
testing of SYMLIN, risks and uncertainties that approval of SYMLIN, if any, may
be delayed and/or limited to specific indications, uncertainties in the review
of the Company's European Marketing Authorization Applications for SYMLIN,
uncertainties regarding the drug discovery and development process,
uncertainties regarding the Company's ongoing clinical studies of its drug
candidates and the ability of the Company to commercialize its drug candidates,
whether through sales, distribution, marketing and/or corporate partnering
agreements, on terms acceptable to the Company or otherwise. Additional risks
and uncertainties are described more fully in the Company's most recently filed
SEC documents, such as its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended
December 31, 2000 under the heading "Risk Factors," and its subsequently filed
Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q.

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