Amylin Pharmaceuticals has merged existing primary care and specialty sales forces into a single organization to bring a specialty approach to endocrinologists and diabetes-focused primary care physicians.

The San Diego-based company said that changes are expected to be implemented in the next several weeks. It will reduce the total number of Amylin sales representatives by approximately 35 percent, or 200 employees, and will result in an annualized benefit of approximately $45 million to GAAP operating results in 2010.

The new sales approach is part of Amylin's continuing efforts for the exenatide alliance operations with partner Eli Lilly, and to maximize the value of its current and future portfolio of diabetes products. The changes to Amylin's field sales organization will be coordinated and aligned with the continuing exenatide sales efforts of Lilly.

Amylin said that the resulting field sales organization will include approximately 325 sales representatives focused on endocrinologists and other physicians that treat diabetes patients. Lilly will continue their efforts within the endocrinology and larger primary care prescriber market to support Byetta (exenatide) injection.