BioCentury
ARTICLE | Company News

Optimer Pharmaceuticals Inc. Inc. cancer news

October 15, 2012 7:00 AM UTC

Optimer plans to sell its 43.6% stake in Taiwan subsidiary Optimer Biotechnology Inc. to the subsidiary's other shareholders for $60 million. Optimer Biotechnology is conducting a Phase II/III trial of OPT-822/821 to treat metastatic breast cancer. The subsidiary has rights from Optimer to the product, which is a combination of an adjuvant with carbohydrate antigen globo-H linked to a protein carrier. Optimer expects to complete the deal next quarter. The company would not disclose details on the other shareholders.

Optimer will use the proceeds from the sale to support U.S. commercialization of antibiotic Dificid fidaxomicin. The company announced last week that Dificid recorded gross sales of $18.4 million in 3Q12, up from $18 million in 2Q12. The Street was expecting Optimer to report 3Q12 total revenues of $19.5 million. Separately, Optimer announced a 25% discount to Dificid's wholesale acquisition cost (WAC) for acute care hospitals in the U.S as part of its hospital contracting initiative. The WAC for a 10-day course of Dificid is $2,800. Optimer hopes the discount will help address the cost barrier to prescribing Dificid in that setting (see BioCentury, Oct. 8). ...