Optimer Pharmaceuticals
| Publicly traded | |
| Traded as | NASDAQ: OPTR |
| Industry | Pharmaceuticals |
| Founded | 1998 |
| Founder |
Samuel J. Danishefsky Chi-Huey Wong |
| Headquarters | Jersey City, New Jersey, U.S. |
Key people |
Samuel J. Danishefsky Chi-Huey Wong |
| Revenue |
 $144 million (2011) $100 million (2012) |
Number of employees | 281 (June 2013) |
| Website |
www |
Optimer Pharmaceuticals Inc (NASDAQ: OPTR) was a biopharmaceutical company, based in Jersey City, NJ 07302, United States of America.
The company focused on developing specialty drugs to treat gastrointestinal infections and related diseases. In 2011, it received regulatory approval for the first antibacterial drug in 25 years approved to treat certain types of diarrhea in adults. But sales failed to meet expectations after the drug, called Dificid, faced strong competition from generic alternatives.
History
Optimer Pharmaceuticals Inc was founded in 1998. In 2016, Chi-Huey Wong is currently involved in possible insider trading scandal (total worth of 4,000,000 TWD, equal to 123,684 USD) of the Taiwan based biotech company OBI Pharma, Inc. (Chinese:台灣浩鼎生技股份有限公司), formerly a subsidiary of Optimer Pharmaceuticals, which had since been purchased by Cubist Pharmaceuticals. Wong had twice attempted to resign his position has the head of the Academia Sinica because of the scandal. Both requests had been denied by the president of Republic of China (Taiwan). He is currently on medical leave in Southern California.
Since February 9, 2007, Optimer Pharmaceuticals can buy/sell on Nasdaq Stock Exchange. At that time, its share price was USD 8.50 per share.
In July 2013, Cubist Pharmaceuticals agreed to purchase Trius Therapeutics and Optimer Pharmaceuticals for around $1.6 billion.[1]
In late October 2013, Cubist Pharmaceuticals completed its $535 million acquisition of Jersey City-based Optimer Pharmaceuticals. Optimer employees were told the New Jersey office would close down in 2014.[2]
References
- ↑ Vrinda Manocha and Zeba Siddiqui (30 July 2013). "Cubist to pay up to $1.6 billion for two antibiotics makers". Reuters.
- ↑ http://www.nj.com/jjournal-news/index.ssf/2013/12/177_optimer_pharmaceuticals_em.html