13 January 2012 - US Optimer Pharmaceuticals Inc (NASDAQ:OPTR) said on Thursday its chief operating officer and senior vice president of corporate affairs Tessie M. Che was exiting the company to explore other opportunities.

Over the past decade, Che has played a key role in bringing to market DIFICID (fidaxomicin) tablets, an FDA-approved antibacterial drug for the treatment of adult patients with Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea (CDAD).

The biopharmaceutical firm has received marketing authorisation for fidaxomicin tablets in the EU under the trade name DIFICLIR. It is currently seeking such authorisation for fidaxomicin in Canada and is exploring similar options in other markets including Asia where C difficile is a serious health problem.