OPTIMER PHARMACEUTICALS RECEIVES US$1.9 MILLION IN SBIR AWARDS

Optimer Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a privately held biopharmaceutical company, was awarded two grants from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIH-NIAID) in 2005. The first is a one-year Small Business Innovation Research-Advanced Technology (SBIR-AT) grant of $734,965, which will be used in the development of the Company's lead clinical drug candidate, OPT-80. OPT-80, which is being evaluated as a treatment for Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea (CDAD), is currently in Phase 2 clinical studies.

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