Optimer Pharmaceuticals Inc was an American

biopharmaceutical A biopharmaceutical, also known as a biological medical product, or biologic, is any pharmaceutical drug product manufactured in, extracted from, or semisynthesized from biological sources. Different from totally synthesized pharmaceuticals, t ...

company, originally headquartered in San Diego, California, and later moved to Jersey City, New Jersey, United States. The company focused on developing specialty drugs to treat gastrointestinal infections and related diseases. In 2011, with Dr. Sherwood Gorbach as Chief Scientific Officer, it received regulatory approval for the first antibacterial drug, Dificid, in 25 years approved to treat certain types of diarrhea (i.e., ''

Clostridioides difficile ''Clostridioides difficile'' ( syn. ''Clostridium difficile'') is a bacterium known for causing serious diarrheal infections, and may also cause colon cancer. It is known also as ''C. difficile'', or ''C. diff'' (), and is a Gram-positive spec ...

'' induced diarrhea) in adults. But sales of the drug Dificid failed to meet expectations and the drug faced strong competition from cheaper generic alternatives. After declining revenue, the company was acquired in 2013 by

Cubist Pharmaceuticals Cubist Pharmaceuticals, Inc. was an American biopharmaceutical company that targeted pathogens like MRSA. . The company employed 638 people, mostly in Lexington, Massachusetts. On 8 December 2014, Merck & Co. acquired Cubist for $102 per share ...

and it operations in New Jersey closed down.

History

Optimer Pharmaceuticals, Inc. was founded in 1998 and registered in the state of Delaware. Corporate and R&D headquarters were located in San Diego, California until 2011. CEO Michael Nientse Chang founded, funded, and built the company with his wife, Tessie Mary Che, who was COO from 1998 to 2011. From 2007 to 2013, Optimer Pharmaceuticals was traded on the Nasdaq Stock Exchange under OPTR. At one time, its share price was USD 8.50 per share. In July 2013,

agreed to purchase

Trius Therapeutics Trius Therapeutics () was a biopharma company based in San Diego, CA that focused on the development of antibiotics. Business profile The lead compound from Trius, tedizolid phosphate (formerly torezolid phosphate, TR-701), successfully completed ...

and Optimer Pharmaceuticals for around $1.6 billion. In late October 2013,

completed its $535 million acquisition of the company. Optimer employees were told the New Jersey office would close down in 2014. This company no longer exists.

References

{{reflist Biotechnology companies of the United States Pharmaceutical companies established in 1998 Pharmaceutical companies disestablished in 2013 1998 establishments in New Jersey Companies based in Jersey City, New Jersey