** Shares of drugmaker Amgen AMGN.O down 1.74% at $284 premarket
** Co said U.S. FDA has placed a clinical hold on an early-stage trial of an experimental weight-loss drug, AMG 513
** The hold is to protect trial participants from unreasonable risk and to ensure that studies are conducted properly - AMGN
** Co added, discussions with regulators are ongoing to determine a path to reopen the study, and they do not believe the issue leading to the hold is drug-related
** AMGN posted a higher quarterly profit and said late-stage studies of another key obesity drug candidate, MariTide, will start before mid-year
** Obesity will continue to be a key theme for Amgen shares as we enter 2025 - Brokerage BMO Capital Markets
** Up to last close, stock down ~10% in last 12 months
(Reporting by Sriparna Roy in Bengaluru)
((Sriparna.Roy@thomsonreuters.com;))
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