Citi starts coverage on Amgen with 'neutral' on caution over obesity drug
** Citi Research starts coverage on Amgen AMGN.O with a "neutral" rating, citing risks to co's experimental weight-loss drug, MariTide, due to intense competition
** Brokerage sets a PT of $335, representing an ~11% upside to stock's last closing price
** Citi says Clinical risk for MariTide is high as the bar for weight reduction keeps getting higher, following data for existing obesity drugs from Eli Lilly LLY.N and Novo Nordisk NOVOb.CO as well as other promising candidates
** MariTide's potential monthly-dosing frequency would be "nice to have" but doctors may prefer obesity drugs that also cover conditions like sleep apnea and others, and AMGN's drug is currently way behind Lilly's drug on that - Citi
** On Wednesday, AMGN denied links between MariTide and bone density changes, following a 7% drop in its stock on Tuesday
** Analysts on average rate AMGN shares "buy"; median PT is $344 — LSEG data
** As of last close, AMGN up 4.6% YTD
Reporting by Kamal Choudhury in Bengaluru
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